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Main Authors: Mirafzali, Ehsan, Proske, Frank, Gupta, Utkarsh, Venturi, Daniele, Marinescu, Razvan
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.05550
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author Mirafzali, Ehsan
Proske, Frank
Gupta, Utkarsh
Venturi, Daniele
Marinescu, Razvan
author_facet Mirafzali, Ehsan
Proske, Frank
Gupta, Utkarsh
Venturi, Daniele
Marinescu, Razvan
contents Score-based diffusion generative models have recently emerged as a powerful tool for modelling complex data distributions. These models aim at learning the score function, which defines a map from a known probability distribution to the target data distribution via deterministic or stochastic differential equations (SDEs). The score function is typically estimated from data using a variety of approximation techniques, such as denoising or sliced score matching, Hyvärien's method, or Schrödinger bridges. In this paper, we derive an exact, closed-form, expression for the score function for a broad class of nonlinear diffusion generative models. Our approach combines modern stochastic analysis tools such as Malliavin derivatives and their adjoint operators (Skorokhod integrals or Malliavin Divergence) with a new Bismut-type formula. The resulting expression for the score function can be written entirely in terms of the first and second variation processes, with all Malliavin derivatives systematically eliminated, thereby enhancing its practical applicability. The theoretical framework presented in this work offers a principled foundation for advancing score estimation methods in generative modelling, enabling the design of new sampling algorithms for complex probability distributions. Our results can be extended to broader classes of stochastic differential equations, opening new directions for the development of score-based diffusion generative models.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_05550
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A Malliavin calculus approach to score functions in diffusion generative models
Mirafzali, Ehsan
Proske, Frank
Gupta, Utkarsh
Venturi, Daniele
Marinescu, Razvan
Machine Learning
Probability
Score-based diffusion generative models have recently emerged as a powerful tool for modelling complex data distributions. These models aim at learning the score function, which defines a map from a known probability distribution to the target data distribution via deterministic or stochastic differential equations (SDEs). The score function is typically estimated from data using a variety of approximation techniques, such as denoising or sliced score matching, Hyvärien's method, or Schrödinger bridges. In this paper, we derive an exact, closed-form, expression for the score function for a broad class of nonlinear diffusion generative models. Our approach combines modern stochastic analysis tools such as Malliavin derivatives and their adjoint operators (Skorokhod integrals or Malliavin Divergence) with a new Bismut-type formula. The resulting expression for the score function can be written entirely in terms of the first and second variation processes, with all Malliavin derivatives systematically eliminated, thereby enhancing its practical applicability. The theoretical framework presented in this work offers a principled foundation for advancing score estimation methods in generative modelling, enabling the design of new sampling algorithms for complex probability distributions. Our results can be extended to broader classes of stochastic differential equations, opening new directions for the development of score-based diffusion generative models.
title A Malliavin calculus approach to score functions in diffusion generative models
topic Machine Learning
Probability
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.05550