mlsanityData to 7 Oct 2026

A Closed-Form Framework for Schr"odinger Bridges Between Arbitrary Densities

arXiv 2511.07786 ↗First posted 11 Nov 2025stat.CO stat.MLcited by 0

On the map: Diffusion models → Diffusion foundations and sampling

Abstract (arXiv)

Score-based generative models have recently attracted significant attention for their ability to generate high-fidelity data by learning maps from simple Gaussian priors to complex data distributions. A natural generalization of this idea to transformations between arbitrary probability distributions leads to the Schr"odinger Bridge (SB) problem. However, SB solutions rarely admit closed-form expressios and are commonly obtained through iterative stochastic simulation procedures, which are computationally intensive and can be unstable. In this work, we introduce a unified closed-form framework for representing the stochastic dynamics of SB systems. Our formulation subsumes previously known analytical solutions including the Schr"odinger F"ollmer process and the Gaussian SB as specific instances. Notably, the classical Gaussian SB solution, previously derived using substantially more sophisticated tools such as Riemannian geometry and generator theory, follows directly from our formulation as an immediate corollary. Leveraging this framework, we develop a simulation-free algorithm that infers SB dynamics directly from samples of the source and target distributions. We demonstrate the versatility of our approach in two settings: (i) modeling developmental trajectories in single-cell genomics and (ii) solving image restoration tasks such as inpainting and deblurring. This work opens a new direction for efficient and scalable nonlinear diffusion modeling across scientific and machine learning applications.

Key facts. No citing papers in the map yet (data through 7 Oct 2026). Placed in Diffusion foundations and sampling, one of 14 directions in Diffusion models. First posted on arXiv 11 Nov 2025.

Builds on

0 of 0 references.

No references here yet.

Built on by

Not cited yet.

Similar, not cited

Close in wording, no citation either way

  1. 2026Foundations of Schr"odinger Bridges for Generative Modeling
  2. 2022The Schr"odinger Bridge between Gaussian Measures has a Closed Form
  3. 2026Reflected Schr"odinger Bridge Matching
  4. 2024Simplified Diffusion Schr"odinger Bridge
  5. 2025Incorporating Pre-trained Diffusion Models in Solving the Schr"odinger Bridge Problem
  6. 2025Data-to-Energy Stochastic Dynamics
  7. 2023Simulation-free Schr"odinger bridges via score and flow matching
  8. 2026Efficient Generative Modeling beyond Memoryless Diffusion via Adjoint Schr"odinger Bridge Matching