aiqbench analysis
Bernoulli Flow Models address the computational bottleneck of binary diffusion by replacing discrete Markov chains with a continuous global probability flow path. This theoretical shift eliminates the training-inference mismatch, allowing significant reductions in function evaluations without distillation or quality degradation. The approach offers a robust framework for efficient generative modeling on binary data, advancing practical inference speeds in machine learning.
Bernoulli Flow Models: Self-Consistent Generative Modeling for Binary Data
arXiv:2610.11362v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Binary diffusion models typically require a large number of function evaluations (NFEs) to generate high-quality samples, making practical inference computationally expensive. Reducing NFEs while preserving sample quality without distillation or additional training remains a significant challenge. Existing binary diffusion models define a discrete one-step forward path and then derive the reverse posterior. In low-NFE settings requiring cross-step sampling, they approximate the true multi-step likelihood with a single-step likelihood transition, which severely degrades sample quality. To address this fundamental limitation and decouple the generative dynamics from fixed discrete time steps, we propose Bernoulli Flow Models (BFM). Rather than relying on sequential one-step Markov diffusion chains, BFM defines a unified continuous global Bernoulli probability flow path between data distributions and pure noise, from which we derive analytical closed-form posterior transitions over arbitrary time intervals. Consequently, reducing the inference NFE is no longer an approximation based on skipping discrete steps; it only requires re-evaluating the analytical posterior over a new time grid. This eliminates the structural training-inference mismatch inherent to discrete chains and yields self-consistent low-NFE sampling. Experiments show that BFM is highly robust to aggressive NFE reduction. On LSUN Churches 256x256, a BFM trained with 256 steps achieves an FID of 9.22 using only 16 sampling steps, whereas the state-of-the-art discrete baseline degrades to 204.10. BFM also remains competitive with continuous and discrete generative baselines under standard full-step inference. These results establish BFM as a theoretically rigorous, self-consistent, and practically effective framework for fast binary data generation.
Abstract:Binary diffusion models typically require a large number of function evaluations (NFEs) to generate high-quality samples, making practical inference computationally expensive. Reducing NFEs while preserving sample quality without distillation or additional training remains a significant challenge. Existing binary diffusion models define a discrete one-step forward path and then derive the reverse posterior. In low-NFE settings requiring cross-step sampling, they approximate the true multi-step likelihood with a single-step likelihood transition, which severely degrades sample quality. To address this fundamental limitation and decouple the generative dynamics from fixed discrete time steps, we propose Bernoulli Flow Models (BFM). Rather than relying on sequential one-step Markov diffusion chains, BFM defines a unified continuous global Bernoulli probability flow path between data distributions and pure noise, from which we derive analytical closed-form posterior transitions over arbitrary time intervals. Consequently, reducing the inference NFE is no longer an approximation based on skipping discrete steps; it only requires re-evaluating the analytical posterior over a new time grid. This eliminates the structural training-inference mismatch inherent to discrete chains and yields self-consistent low-NFE sampling. Experiments show that BFM is highly robust to aggressive NFE reduction. On LSUN Churches 256x256, a BFM trained with 256 steps achieves an FID of 9.22 using only 16 sampling steps, whereas the state-of-the-art discrete baseline degrades to 204.10. BFM also remains competitive with continuous and discrete generative baselines under standard full-step inference. These results establish BFM as a theoretically rigorous, self-consistent, and practically effective framework for fast binary data generation.
Machine Learning (cs.LG); Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition (cs.CV)
arXiv:2610.11362 [cs.LG]
(or arXiv:2610.11362v1 [cs.LG] for this version)
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2610.11362 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)
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