mlsanityData to 7 Oct 2026

Ant Colony Sampling with GFlowNets for Combinatorial Optimization

arXiv 2403.07041 ↗First posted 11 Mar 2024cs.LG cs.NEcited by 53

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Abstract (arXiv)

We present the Generative Flow Ant Colony Sampler (GFACS), a novel meta-heuristic method that hierarchically combines amortized inference and parallel stochastic search. Our method first leverages Generative Flow Networks (GFlowNets) to amortize a multi-modal prior distribution over combinatorial solution space that encompasses both high-reward and diversified solutions. This prior is iteratively updated via parallel stochastic search in the spirit of Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), leading to the posterior distribution that generates near-optimal solutions. Extensive experiments across seven combinatorial optimization problems demonstrate GFACS's promising performances.

Key facts. Cited by 53 papers in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). Builds on 65 of its 108 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 11 Mar 2024.

Builds on

65 of 108 references.

References · 65

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  12. 2021Flow Network based Generative Models for Non-Iterative Diverse Candidate Generationcited by 384
38 more
  1. 2020POMO: Policy Optimization with Multiple Optima for Reinforcement Learningcited by 341
  2. 2018Reinforcement Learning for Solving the Vehicle Routing Problemcited by 327
  3. 2021GFlowNet Foundationscited by 286
  4. 2022Trajectory balance: Improved credit assignment in GFlowNetscited by 244
  5. 2023DIFUSCO: Graph-based Diffusion Solvers for Combinatorial Optimizationcited by 216
  6. 2020Generalize a Small Pre-trained Model to Arbitrarily Large TSP Instancescited by 161
  7. 2023Neural Combinatorial Optimization with Heavy Decoder: Toward Large Scale Generalizationcited by 140
  8. 2020Learning to Dispatch for Job Shop Scheduling via Deep Reinforcement Learningcited by 139
  9. 2022Learning GFlowNets from partial episodes for improved convergence and stabilitycited by 129
  10. 2022DIMES: A Differentiable Meta Solver for Combinatorial Optimization Problemscited by 127
  11. 2020Hybrid Genetic Search for the CVRP: Open-Source Implementation and SWAP* Neighborhoodcited by 122
  12. 2022Sym-NCO: Leveraging Symmetricity for Neural Combinatorial Optimizationcited by 118
  13. 2019Neural Large Neighborhood Search for the Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problemcited by 117
  14. 2022Generative Flow Networks for Discrete Probabilistic Modelingcited by 113
  15. 2021Learning to Iteratively Solve Routing Problems with Dual-Aspect Collaborative Transformercited by 108
  16. 2022GFlowNets and variational inferencecited by 103
  17. 2020Learning 2-opt Heuristics for the Traveling Salesman Problem via Deep Reinforcement Learningcited by 100
  18. 2020Multi-Decoder Attention Model with Embedding Glimpse for Solving Vehicle Routing Problemscited by 100
  19. 2021Efficient Active Search for Combinatorial Optimization Problemscited by 99
  20. 2021Deep Policy Dynamic Programming for Vehicle Routing Problemscited by 94
  21. 2021Learning Collaborative Policies to Solve NP-hard Routing Problemscited by 86
  22. 2022Simulation-guided Beam Search for Neural Combinatorial Optimizationcited by 84
  23. 2023Better Training of GFlowNets with Local Credit and Incomplete Trajectoriescited by 83
  24. 2023GLOP: Learning Global Partition and Local Construction for Solving Large-scale Routing Problems in Real-timecited by 82
  25. 2023Learning to Search Feasible and Infeasible Regions of Routing Problems with Flexible Neural k-Optcited by 81
  26. 2023BQ-NCO: Bisimulation Quotienting for Efficient Neural Combinatorial Optimizationcited by 80
  27. 2023DeepACO: Neural-enhanced Ant Systems for Combinatorial Optimizationcited by 77
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  29. 2023Robust Scheduling with GFlowNetscited by 67
  30. 2022Winner Takes It All: Training Performant RL Populations for Combinatorial Optimizationcited by 57
  31. 2023Unsupervised Learning for Solving the Travelling Salesman Problemcited by 57
  32. 2020Learning What to Defer for Maximum Independent Setscited by 53
  33. 2023PyVRP: a high-performance VRP solver packagecited by 50
  34. 2023Pointerformer: Deep Reinforced Multi-Pointer Transformer for the Traveling Salesman Problemcited by 49
  35. 2022Generative Augmented Flow Networkscited by 48
  36. 2023Sample-efficient Multi-objective Molecular Optimization with GFlowNetscited by 48
  37. 2023Local Search GFlowNetscited by 45
  38. 2023H-TSP: Hierarchically Solving the Large-Scale Travelling Salesman Problemcited by 43

50 most cited of 65 All 65 (JSON)

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Cited by year (2026 to 7 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2024: 12; 2025: 26; 2026: 15.

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  1. 2025Monte Carlo Tree Search for Comprehensive Exploration in LLM-Based Automatic Heuristic Designcited by 100
  2. 2024MVMoE: Multi-Task Vehicle Routing Solver with Mixture-of-Expertscited by 69
  3. 2024RouteFinder: Towards Foundation Models for Vehicle Routing Problemscited by 54
  4. 2025Rethinking Light Decoder-based Solvers for Vehicle Routing Problemscited by 36
  5. 2024Flow of Reasoning: Training LLMs for Divergent Reasoning with Minimal Examplescited by 29
  6. 2024Learning to Handle Complex Constraints for Vehicle Routing Problemscited by 29
  7. 2024Neural Combinatorial Optimization Algorithms for Solving Vehicle Routing Problems: A Comprehensive Survey with Perspectivescited by 23
  8. 2024Adaptive teachers for amortized samplerscited by 23
  9. 2025Learning to Sample Effective and Diverse Prompts for Text-to-Image Generationcited by 16
  10. 2025Neural Deconstruction Search for Vehicle Routing Problemscited by 15
  11. 2025GFlowVLM: Enhancing Multi-step Reasoning in Vision-Language Models with Generative Flow Networkscited by 15
  12. 2025Generative Models in Decision Making: A Surveycited by 14
38 more
  1. 2024Pessimistic Backward Policy for GFlowNetscited by 13
  2. 2024Improved Off-policy Reinforcement Learning in Biological Sequence Designcited by 13
  3. 2024Can a Bayesian Oracle Prevent Harm from an Agent?cited by 12
  4. 2025Adversarial Generative Flow Network for Solving Vehicle Routing Problemscited by 10
  5. 2025RRNCO: Towards Real-World Routing with Neural Combinatorial Optimizationcited by 10
  6. 2024Beyond Squared Error: Exploring Loss Design for Enhanced Training of Generative Flow Networkscited by 9
  7. 2024Collaboration! Towards Robust Neural Methods for Routing Problemscited by 9
  8. 2025Revisiting Non-Acyclic GFlowNets in Discrete Environmentscited by 8
  9. 2024PARCO: Parallel AutoRegressive Models for Multi-Agent Combinatorial Optimizationcited by 7
  10. 2025Hybrid-Balance GFlowNet for Solving Vehicle Routing Problemscited by 7
  11. 2025Reheated Gradient-based Discrete Sampling for Combinatorial Optimizationcited by 6
  12. 2025Adaptive Destruction Processes for Diffusion Samplerscited by 6
  13. 2025VRPAgent: LLM-Driven Discovery of Heuristic Operators for Vehicle Routing Problemscited by 6
  14. 2025Neural Genetic Search in Discrete Spacescited by 5
  15. 2025Learning to Segment for Vehicle Routing Problemscited by 5
  16. 2025Reinforced sequential Monte Carlo for amortised samplingcited by 5
  17. 2026PathWise: Planning through World Model for Automated Heuristic Design via Self-Evolving LLMscited by 5
  18. 2025AbFlowNet: Optimizing Antibody-Antigen Binding Energy via Diffusion-GFlowNet Fusioncited by 4
  19. 2026Survey on Neural Routing Solverscited by 4
  20. 2025Mitigating Hallucinations in LM-Based TTS Models via Distribution Alignment Using GFlowNetscited by 2
  21. 2026Discrete diffusion samplers and bridges: Off-policy algorithms and applications in latent spacescited by 2
  22. 2026Learning Shortest Paths with Generative Flow Networkscited by 2
  23. 2025USPR: Learning a Unified Solver for Profiled Routingcited by 1
  24. 2026Beyond the Node: Clade-level Selection for Efficient MCTS in Automatic Heuristic Designcited by 1
  25. 2026HyCO: A Hybrid Neural Solver for Combinatorial Optimizationcited by 1
  26. 2025Beyond the Proxy: Trajectory-Distilled Guidance for Offline GFlowNet Trainingcited by 0
  27. 2025Latent Guided Sampling for Combinatorial Optimizationcited by 0
  28. 2025Hybrid Node-Destroyer Model with Large Neighborhood Search for Solving the Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problemcited by 0
  29. 2025Edge-Selector Model Applied for Local Search Neighborhood for Solving Vehicle Routing Problemscited by 0
  30. 2025NeuFACO: Neural Focused Ant Colony Optimization for Traveling Salesman Problemcited by 0
  31. 2025Test-Time Search in Neural Graph Coarsening Procedures for the Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problemcited by 0
  32. 2025CogMCTS: A Novel Cognitive-Guided Monte Carlo Tree Search Framework for Iterative Heuristic Evolution with Large Language Modelscited by 0
  33. 2026HeatACO: A Heatmap-Guided Max--Min Ant System for Large-Scale Travelling Salesman Problemscited by 0
  34. 2026OD-Gear: Online Decomposition and Group Sampling for Expert-Guided Adversarial Routing in Scalable Capacitated Vehicle Routingcited by 0
  35. 2026Synthesizable Molecular Generation via Soft-constrained GFlowNets with Rich Chemical Priorscited by 0
  36. 2026Exploring Multiple High-Scoring Subspaces in Generative Flow Networkscited by 0
  37. 2026Learning to Solve Orienteering Problem with Time Windows and Variable Profitscited by 0
  38. 2026Stable GFlowNets with TV Monitoring and Probabilistic Guaranteescited by 0

50 most cited of 53 All 53 (JSON)