Modular MeanFlow: Towards Stable and Scalable One-Step Generative Modeling
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Abstract (arXiv)
One-step generative modeling seeks to generate high-quality data samples in a single function evaluation, significantly improving efficiency over traditional diffusion or flow-based models. In this work, we introduce Modular MeanFlow (MMF), a flexible and theoretically grounded approach for learning time-averaged velocity fields. Our method derives a family of loss functions based on a differential identity linking instantaneous and average velocities, and incorporates a gradient modulation mechanism that enables stable training without sacrificing expressiveness. We further propose a curriculum-style warmup schedule to smoothly transition from coarse supervision to fully differentiable training. The MMF formulation unifies and generalizes existing consistency-based and flow-matching methods, while avoiding expensive higher-order derivatives. Empirical results across image synthesis and trajectory modeling tasks demonstrate that MMF achieves competitive sample quality, robust convergence, and strong generalization, particularly under low-data or out-of-distribution settings.
Key facts. Cited by 8 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026). Builds on 34 of its 51 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 24 Aug 2025.
Builds on
34 of 51 references.
References · 34
- 2020Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Modelscited by 21,076
- 2020Score-Based Generative Modeling through Stochastic Differential Equationscited by 9,122
- 2022Flow Matching for Generative Modelingcited by 5,702
- 2024Scaling Rectified Flow Transformers for High-Resolution Image Synthesiscited by 4,181
- 2016Density estimation using Real NVPcited by 2,042
- 2022DPM-Solver: A Fast ODE Solver for Diffusion Probabilistic Model Sampling in Around 10 Stepscited by 1,979
- 2018Glow: Generative Flow with Invertible 1x1 Convolutionscited by 1,545
- 2014NICE: Non-linear Independent Components Estimationcited by 1,058
- 2023One-step Diffusion with Distribution Matching Distillationcited by 1,019
- 2025Mean Flows for One-step Generative Modelingcited by 561
- 2023Consistency Trajectory Models: Learning Probability Flow ODE Trajectory of Diffusioncited by 459
- 2023Improved Techniques for Training Consistency Modelscited by 439
22 more
- 2022Fast Sampling of Diffusion Models via Operator Learningcited by 175
- 2023The probability flow ODE is provably fastcited by 146
- 2024Improving the Training of Rectified Flowscited by 108
- 2020Improved Analysis of Clipping Algorithms for Non-convex Optimizationcited by 89
- 2024One-Step Diffusion Distillation through Score Implicit Matchingcited by 71
- 2024EM Distillation for One-step Diffusion Modelscited by 62
- 2023One-Step Diffusion Distillation via Deep Equilibrium Modelscited by 61
- 2024Convergence Analysis of Probability Flow ODE for Score-based Generative Modelscited by 57
- 2025Frequency-Aligned Knowledge Distillation for Lightweight Spatiotemporal Forecastingcited by 55
- 2024Efficient Diffusion Models: A Comprehensive Survey from Principles to Practicescited by 41
- 2025SepPrune: Structured Pruning for Efficient Deep Speech Separationcited by 31
- 2024PaGoDA: Progressive Growing of a One-Step Generator from a Low-Resolution Diffusion Teachercited by 27
- 2024SGLP: A Similarity Guided Fast Layer Partition Pruning for Compressing Large Deep Modelscited by 25
- 2023Neural Diffusion Modelscited by 21
- 2024COMAE: COMprehensive Attribute Exploration for Zero-shot Hashingcited by 16
- 2025Uni-Instruct: One-step Diffusion Model through Unified Diffusion Divergence Instructioncited by 13
- 2024Stable Consistency Tuning: Understanding and Improving Consistency Modelscited by 9
- 2025SRKD: Towards Efficient 3D Point Cloud Segmentation via Structure- and Relation-aware Knowledge Distillationcited by 9
- 2024Hamiltonian Score Matching and Generative Flowscited by 7
- 2024Variance reduction of diffusion model's gradients with Taylor approximation-based control variatecited by 6
- 2025MOVER: Multimodal Optimal Transport with Volume-based Embedding Regularizationcited by 6
- 2025Integration Flow Modelscited by 1
Built on by
Citing papers per year: 2025: 3; 2026: 5.
8 papers.
- 2025Learning Straight Flows: Variational Flow Matching for Efficient Generationcited by 8
- 2026Learning Hamiltonian Flow Maps: Mean Flow Consistency for Large-Timestep Molecular Dynamicscited by 7
- 2025Gradient Shaping Beyond Clipping: A Functional Perspective on Update Magnitude Controlcited by 1
- 2026On Variance Reduction in Learning Mean Flowscited by 1
- 2026CaloTrilogy: Toward a Breakthrough in One-Step, End-to-End, Physics-Guided Shower Generation for Modern Calorimeterscited by 1
- 2025ReSSFormer: A Recursive Sparse Structured Transformer for Scalable and Long-Context Reasoningcited by 0
- 2026FlowConsist: Make Your Flow Consistent with Real Trajectorycited by 0
- 2026MUSE: Unlocking Timestep as Native Task Steering for One-Step Dense Predictioncited by 0
- 2026MUSE: Unlocking Timestep as Native Task Steering for One-Step Dense Prediction29 Jun 2026
- 2026CaloTrilogy: Toward a Breakthrough in One-Step, End-to-End, Physics-Guided Shower Generation for Modern Calorimeters2 Jun 2026
- 2026On Variance Reduction in Learning Mean Flows10 May 2026
- 2026FlowConsist: Make Your Flow Consistent with Real Trajectory6 Feb 2026
- 2026Learning Hamiltonian Flow Maps: Mean Flow Consistency for Large-Timestep Molecular Dynamics29 Jan 2026
- 2025Learning Straight Flows: Variational Flow Matching for Efficient Generation15 Nov 2025
- 2025ReSSFormer: A Recursive Sparse Structured Transformer for Scalable and Long-Context Reasoning2 Oct 2025
- 2025Gradient Shaping Beyond Clipping: A Functional Perspective on Update Magnitude Control2 Oct 2025
Similar, not cited
Close in wording, no citation either way
- 2025AlphaFlow: Understanding and Improving MeanFlow Models
- 2025Towards High-Order Mean Flow Generative Models: Feasibility, Expressivity, and Provably Efficient Criteria
- 2025SplitMeanFlow: Interval Splitting Consistency in Few-Step Generative Modeling
- 2026Look-Ahead and Look-Back Flows: Training-Free Image Generation with Trajectory Smoothing
- 2025MeanFlow Transformers with Representation Autoencoders
- 2025Overcoming the Curvature Bottleneck in MeanFlow
- 2025SoFlow: Solution Flow Models for One-Step Generative Modeling
- 2026Self-Consistent Flow: Unifying Velocity and Endpoint Prediction for Rectified Flow Models