mlsanityData to 7 Oct 2026

Metropolis-Adjusted Diffusion Models

arXiv 2605.09654 ↗First posted 10 May 2026stat.ML cs.LG stat.COcited by 1

On the map: Diffusion models → Diffusion foundations and sampling

Abstract (arXiv)

Sampling from score-based diffusion models incurs bias due to both time discretisation and the approximation of the score function. A common strategy for reducing this bias is to apply corrector steps based on the unadjusted Langevin algorithm (ULA) at each noise level within a predictor-corrector framework. However, ULA is itself a biased sampler, as it discretises a continuous diffusion process. In this work, we consider adjusted Langevin correctors that employ Metropolis--Hastings (MH) or Barker's accept-reject steps to correct for this bias. Since the target density ratio typically required by MH-based algorithms is unavailable, we propose methods that instead utilise the score function to compute the correct acceptance probability. We introduce the first exact method for adjusting Langevin corrections in diffusion models, based on a two-coin Bernoulli factory algorithm. We also propose an efficient approximation based on Simpson's rule that achieves accuracy of order 5/2 in the step size at near-zero marginal cost. We demonstrate that these procedures improve sample quality on both synthetic and image datasets, yielding consistent gains in Fr'echet Inception Distance (FID) on the latter.

Key facts. Cited by 1 paper in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). Placed in Diffusion foundations and sampling, one of 14 directions in Diffusion models. Builds on 15 of its 36 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 10 May 2026.

Builds on

15 of 36 references.

Closest ancestors · 8

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2026High-accuracy sampling for diffusion models and log-concave distributions1 Feb
  2. 2024Score-Based Metropolis-Hastings Algorithms31 Dec
  3. 2024Score-Optimal Diffusion Schedules10 Dec
  4. 2023DiffiT: Diffusion Vision Transformers for Image Generation4 Dec
  5. 2023MCMC-Correction of Score-Based Diffusion Models for Model Composition26 Jul
  6. 2022Elucidating the Design Space of Diffusion-Based Generative Models1 Jun
  7. 2020Score-Based Generative Modeling through Stochastic Differential Equations26 Nov
  8. 2020Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Models19 Jun

Other references · 7

  1. 2015Deep Unsupervised Learning using Nonequilibrium Thermodynamicscited by 7,005
  2. 2018A Style-Based Generator Architecture for Generative Adversarial Networkscited by 5,986
  3. 2019Generative Modeling by Estimating Gradients of the Data Distributioncited by 4,067
  4. 2019StarGAN v2: Diverse Image Synthesis for Multiple Domainscited by 1,095
  5. 2015Non-asymptotic convergence analysis for the Unadjusted Langevin Algorithmcited by 195
  6. 2024Isambard-AI: a leadership class supercomputer optimised specifically for Artificial Intelligencecited by 59
  7. 2017Exact Monte Carlo likelihood-based inference for jump-diffusion processescited by 1

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Cited by year (2026 to 7 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2026: 1.

1 paper.

Similar, not cited

Close in wording, no citation either way

  1. 2024A Practical Diffusion Path for Sampling
  2. 2026Diffusion Path Samplers via Sequential Monte Carlo
  3. 2026Exact Global MCMC with Denoising Diffusion
  4. 2023Accelerating Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling with diffusion models
  5. 2022Sampling is as easy as learning the score: theory for diffusion models with minimal data assumptions
  6. 2025Posterior Sampling by Combining Diffusion Models with Annealed Langevin Dynamics
  7. 2026Training-Free Generative Sampling via Moment-Matched Score Smoothing
  8. 2024The Poisson Midpoint Method for Langevin Dynamics: Provably Efficient Discretization for Diffusion Models