One Operator for Many Densities: Amortized Approximation of Conditioning by Neural Operators
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Abstract (arXiv)
Probabilistic conditioning is concerned with the identification of a distribution of a random variable X given a random variable Y. It is a cornerstone of scientific and engineering applications where modeling uncertainty is key. This problem has traditionally been addressed in machine learning by directly learning the conditional distribution of a fixed joint distribution. This paper introduces a novel perspective: we propose to solve the conditioning problem by identifying a single operator that maps any joint density to its conditional, thus amortizing over joint-conditional pairs. We establish that the conditioning operator can be approximated to arbitrary accuracy by neural operators. Our proof relies on new results establishing continuity of the conditioning operator over suitable classes of densities. Finally, we learn the conditioning map for a class of Gaussian mixtures using neural operators, illustrating the promise of our framework. This work provides the theoretical underpinnings for general-purpose, amortized methods for probabilistic conditioning, such as foundation models for Bayesian inference.
Key facts. Cited by 4 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026). Builds on 42 of its 62 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 7 May 2026.
Builds on
42 of 62 references.
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30 more
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Citing papers per year: 2026: 4.
4 papers.
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