Minimal-Dissipation Learning for Energy-Based Models

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Hauptverfasser: Hnybida, Jeff, Verret, Simon
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
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author Hnybida, Jeff
Verret, Simon
author_facet Hnybida, Jeff
Verret, Simon
contents We show that the bias of the approximate maximum-likelihood estimation (MLE) objective of a persistent chain energy-based model (EBM) is precisely equal to the thermodynamic excess work of an overdamped Langevin dynamical system. We then answer the question of whether such a model can be trained with minimal excess work, that is, energy dissipation, in a finite amount of time. We find that a Gaussian energy function with constant variance can be trained with minimal excess work by controlling only the learning rate. This proves that it is possible to train a persistent chain EBM in a finite amount of time with minimal dissipation and also provides a lower bound on the energy required for the computation. We refer to such a learning process that minimizes the excess work as minimal-dissipation learning. We then provide a generalization of the optimal learning rate schedule to general potentials and find that it induces a natural gradient flow on the MLE objective, a well-known second-order optimization method.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_03137
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Minimal-Dissipation Learning for Energy-Based Models
Hnybida, Jeff
Verret, Simon
Statistical Mechanics
Adaptation and Self-Organizing Systems
We show that the bias of the approximate maximum-likelihood estimation (MLE) objective of a persistent chain energy-based model (EBM) is precisely equal to the thermodynamic excess work of an overdamped Langevin dynamical system. We then answer the question of whether such a model can be trained with minimal excess work, that is, energy dissipation, in a finite amount of time. We find that a Gaussian energy function with constant variance can be trained with minimal excess work by controlling only the learning rate. This proves that it is possible to train a persistent chain EBM in a finite amount of time with minimal dissipation and also provides a lower bound on the energy required for the computation. We refer to such a learning process that minimizes the excess work as minimal-dissipation learning. We then provide a generalization of the optimal learning rate schedule to general potentials and find that it induces a natural gradient flow on the MLE objective, a well-known second-order optimization method.
title Minimal-Dissipation Learning for Energy-Based Models
topic Statistical Mechanics
Adaptation and Self-Organizing Systems
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.03137