Is RL fine-tuning harder than regression? A PDE learning approach for diffusion models

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Author: Mou, Wenlong
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Mou, Wenlong
author_facet Mou, Wenlong
contents We study the problem of learning the optimal control policy for fine-tuning a given diffusion process, using general value function approximation. We develop a new class of algorithms by solving a variational inequality problem based on the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equations. We prove sharp statistical rates for the learned value function and control policy, depending on the complexity and approximation errors of the function class. In contrast to generic reinforcement learning problems, our approach shows that fine-tuning can be achieved via supervised regression, with faster statistical rate guarantees.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_02528
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Is RL fine-tuning harder than regression? A PDE learning approach for diffusion models
Mou, Wenlong
Machine Learning
Optimization and Control
Probability
Statistics Theory
We study the problem of learning the optimal control policy for fine-tuning a given diffusion process, using general value function approximation. We develop a new class of algorithms by solving a variational inequality problem based on the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equations. We prove sharp statistical rates for the learned value function and control policy, depending on the complexity and approximation errors of the function class. In contrast to generic reinforcement learning problems, our approach shows that fine-tuning can be achieved via supervised regression, with faster statistical rate guarantees.
title Is RL fine-tuning harder than regression? A PDE learning approach for diffusion models
topic Machine Learning
Optimization and Control
Probability
Statistics Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.02528