mlsanityData to 7 Oct 2026

Local Search GFlowNets

arXiv 2310.02710 ↗First posted 4 Oct 2023cs.LG stat.MLcited by 45

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Abstract (arXiv)

Generative Flow Networks (GFlowNets) are amortized sampling methods that learn a distribution over discrete objects proportional to their rewards. GFlowNets exhibit a remarkable ability to generate diverse samples, yet occasionally struggle to consistently produce samples with high rewards due to over-exploration on wide sample space. This paper proposes to train GFlowNets with local search, which focuses on exploiting high-rewarded sample space to resolve this issue. Our main idea is to explore the local neighborhood via backtracking and reconstruction guided by backward and forward policies, respectively. This allows biasing the samples toward high-reward solutions, which is not possible for a typical GFlowNet solution generation scheme, which uses the forward policy to generate the solution from scratch. Extensive experiments demonstrate a remarkable performance improvement in several biochemical tasks. Source code is available: urlhttps://github.com/dbsxodud-11/lsgfn.

Key facts. Cited by 45 papers in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). Builds on 30 of its 38 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 4 Oct 2023.

Builds on

30 of 38 references.

References · 30

  1. 2014Adam: A Method for Stochastic Optimizationcited by 36,960
  2. 2020Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Modelscited by 20,851
  3. 2017Proximal Policy Optimization Algorithmscited by 14,441
  4. 2018Soft Actor-Critic: Off-Policy Maximum Entropy Deep Reinforcement Learning with a Stochastic Actorcited by 4,635
  5. 2016Asynchronous Methods for Deep Reinforcement Learningcited by 2,218
  6. 2021Flow Network based Generative Models for Non-Iterative Diverse Candidate Generationcited by 384
  7. 2021GFlowNet Foundationscited by 286
  8. 2022Trajectory balance: Improved credit assignment in GFlowNetscited by 244
  9. 2022Biological Sequence Design with GFlowNetscited by 172
  10. 2022Bayesian Structure Learning with Generative Flow Networkscited by 153
  11. 2022Learning GFlowNets from partial episodes for improved convergence and stabilitycited by 129
  12. 2021MARS: Markov Molecular Sampling for Multi-objective Drug Discoverycited by 125
18 more
  1. 2022Generative Flow Networks for Discrete Probabilistic Modelingcited by 113
  2. 2022GFlowNets and variational inferencecited by 103
  3. 2022Multi-Objective GFlowNetscited by 100
  4. 2022Design-Bench: Benchmarks for Data-Driven Offline Model-Based Optimizationcited by 96
  5. 2015Hierarchical Variational Modelscited by 89
  6. 2023Better Training of GFlowNets with Local Credit and Incomplete Trajectoriescited by 83
  7. 2023Towards Understanding and Improving GFlowNet Trainingcited by 74
  8. 2023Robust Scheduling with GFlowNetscited by 67
  9. 2020AdaLead: A simple and robust adaptive greedy search algorithm for sequence designcited by 63
  10. 2023GFlowNets for AI-Driven Scientific Discoverycited by 63
  11. 2023Joint Bayesian Inference of Graphical Structure and Parameters with a Single Generative Flow Networkcited by 50
  12. 2022Generative Augmented Flow Networkscited by 48
  13. 2020Molecular Mechanics-Driven Graph Neural Network with Multiplex Graph for Molecular Structurescited by 44
  14. 2023Let the Flows Tell: Solving Graph Combinatorial Optimization Problems with GFlowNetscited by 40
  15. 2023Stochastic Generative Flow Networkscited by 32
  16. 2023Thompson sampling for improved exploration in GFlowNetscited by 31
  17. 2023Distributional GFlowNets with Quantile Flowscited by 28
  18. 2022Batch Multi-Fidelity Active Learning with Budget Constraintscited by 20

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Cited by year (2026 to 7 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2023: 1; 2024: 21; 2025: 12; 2026: 11.

45 papers.

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  1. 2024ReEvo: Large Language Models as Hyper-Heuristics with Reflective Evolutioncited by 266
  2. 2024Amortizing intractable inference in diffusion models for vision, language, and controlcited by 70
  3. 2024Ant Colony Sampling with GFlowNets for Combinatorial Optimizationcited by 53
  4. 2024Improved off-policy training of diffusion samplerscited by 47
  5. 2024Genetic-guided GFlowNets for Sample Efficient Molecular Optimizationcited by 36
  6. 2023Maximum entropy GFlowNets with soft Q-learningcited by 30
  7. 2024Flow of Reasoning: Training LLMs for Divergent Reasoning with Minimal Examplescited by 29
  8. 2024Improving GFlowNets for Text-to-Image Diffusion Alignmentcited by 27
  9. 2025Trajectory Balance with Asynchrony: Decoupling Exploration and Learning for Fast, Scalable LLM Post-Trainingcited by 27
  10. 2024Adaptive teachers for amortized samplerscited by 23
  11. 2024QGFN: Controllable Greediness with Action Valuescited by 18
  12. 2025Learning to Sample Effective and Diverse Prompts for Text-to-Image Generationcited by 16
33 more
  1. 2025Generative Models in Decision Making: A Surveycited by 14
  2. 2025Offline Model-Based Optimization: Comprehensive Reviewcited by 14
  3. 2024Pessimistic Backward Policy for GFlowNetscited by 13
  4. 2024Improved Off-policy Reinforcement Learning in Biological Sequence Designcited by 13
  5. 2024Can a Bayesian Oracle Prevent Harm from an Agent?cited by 12
  6. 2024Optimizing Backward Policies in GFlowNets via Trajectory Likelihood Maximizationcited by 12
  7. 2025Posterior Inference with Diffusion Models for High-dimensional Black-box Optimizationcited by 12
  8. 2025Adversarial Generative Flow Network for Solving Vehicle Routing Problemscited by 10
  9. 2025On scalable and efficient training of diffusion samplerscited by 10
  10. 2024Beyond Squared Error: Exploring Loss Design for Enhanced Training of Generative Flow Networkscited by 9
  11. 2024PARCO: Parallel AutoRegressive Models for Multi-Agent Combinatorial Optimizationcited by 7
  12. 2024MetaGFN: Exploring Distant Modes with Adapted Metadynamics for Continuous GFlowNetscited by 6
  13. 2024On Divergence Measures for Training GFlowNetscited by 6
  14. 2024Random Policy Evaluation Uncovers Policies of Generative Flow Networkscited by 5
  15. 2025Reinforced sequential Monte Carlo for amortised samplingcited by 5
  16. 2024GFlowNet Training by Policy Gradientscited by 4
  17. 2025Loss-Guided Auxiliary Agents for Overcoming Mode Collapse in GFlowNetscited by 4
  18. 2025gfnx: Fast and Scalable Library for Generative Flow Networks in JAXcited by 2
  19. 2026Rooted Absorbed Prefix Trajectory Balance with Submodular Replay for GFlowNet Trainingcited by 2
  20. 2024Bifurcated Generative Flow Networkscited by 1
  21. 2025A Generative Neural Annealer for Black-Box Combinatorial Optimizationcited by 1
  22. 2026Evaluating GFlowNet from partial episodes for stable and flexible policy-based trainingcited by 1
  23. 2024Dynamic Backtracking in GFlowNets: Enhancing Decision Steps with Reward-Dependent Adjustment Mechanismscited by 0
  24. 2025Beyond the Proxy: Trajectory-Distilled Guidance for Offline GFlowNet Trainingcited by 0
  25. 2026Signal from Structure: Exploiting Submodular Upper Bounds in Generative Flow Networkscited by 0
  26. 2026GFlowPO: Generative Flow Network as a Language Model Prompt Optimizercited by 0
  27. 2026Synthesizable Molecular Generation via Soft-constrained GFlowNets with Rich Chemical Priorscited by 0
  28. 2026Exploring Multiple High-Scoring Subspaces in Generative Flow Networkscited by 0
  29. 2026Partial GFlowNet: Accelerating Convergence in Large State Spaces via Strategic Partitioningcited by 0
  30. 2026Beyond Normalization: Rethinking the Partition Function as a Difficulty Scheduler for RLVRcited by 0
  31. 2026A Systematic Evaluation of Co-folding Model Representations for Small-Molecule Learningcited by 0
  32. 2026Stable GFlowNets with TV Monitoring and Probabilistic Guaranteescited by 0
  33. 2026Particle GFlowNets: Rethinking Generative Marginalization Modelscited by 0