mlsanityData to 14 Oct 2026

Decision-Weighted Flow Matching for Contextual Stochastic Optimization

arXiv 2606.16790 ↗First posted 15 Jun 2026cs.LG cs.AIcited by 1

On the map: Diffusion models → Flow matching, time series and science

Abstract (arXiv)

Conditional generative models are increasingly used as scenario generators for stochastic optimization, but standard training objectives emphasize uniform distributional fit rather than the downstream decisions induced by generated scenarios. This creates an objective mismatch: errors in statistically common regions may have little effect on decision regret, whereas errors in decision-sensitive regions can substantially change the optimal action. We propose Decision-Weighted Flow Matching (DW-FM), a regret-aligned training framework that preserves the simplicity of standard flow matching while reweighting its velocity-regression objective using decision-sensitive endpoint information. Theoretically, we connect downstream regret to pathwise velocity mismatch through a loss-induced decision discrepancy and an adjoint transport argument, yielding an ideal regret-aligned surrogate and practical endpoint-weighted objectives with regret guarantees. Empirically, we demonstrate the effectiveness of DW-FM on three CVaR-based contextual stochastic optimization benchmarks spanning synthetic portfolio, semi-real financial, and traffic-CVaR tasks, where DW-FM improves downstream regret over standard baselines.

Key facts. Cited by 1 paper in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026). Placed in Flow matching, time series and science, one of 14 directions in Diffusion models. Builds on 18 of its 31 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 15 Jun 2026.

Builds on

18 of 31 references.

Closest ancestors · 4

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2023Improving and generalizing flow-based generative models with minibatch optimal transport1 Feb
  2. 2022Flow Matching for Generative Modeling6 Oct
  3. 2022Flow Straight and Fast: Learning to Generate and Transfer Data with Rectified Flow7 Sep
  4. 2021Autoregressive Denoising Diffusion Models for Multivariate Probabilistic Time Series Forecasting28 Jan

Other references · 14

  1. 2022Building Normalizing Flows with Stochastic Interpolantscited by 995
  2. 2023Stochastic Interpolants: A Unifying Framework for Flows and Diffusionscited by 939
  3. 2017OptNet: Differentiable Optimization as a Layer in Neural Networkscited by 599
  4. 2019Differentiable Convex Optimization Layerscited by 465
  5. 2017Smart "Predict, then Optimize"cited by 339
  6. 2018What is the Effect of Importance Weighting in Deep Learning?cited by 251
  7. 2018Melding the Data-Decisions Pipeline: Decision-Focused Learning for Combinatorial Optimizationcited by 227
  8. 2014From Predictive to Prescriptive Analyticscited by 143
  9. 2023Decision-Focused Learning: Foundations, State of the Art, Benchmark and Future Opportunitiescited by 130
  10. 2019MIPaaL: Mixed Integer Program as a Layercited by 94
  11. 2021ScoreGrad: Multivariate Probabilistic Time Series Forecasting with Continuous Energy-based Generative Modelscited by 43
  12. 2020Stochastic Optimization Forestscited by 20
2 more
  1. 2025Gen-DFL: Decision-Focused Generative Learning for Robust Decision Makingcited by 18
  2. 2025Diffusion-DFL: Decision-focused Diffusion Models for Stochastic Optimizationcited by 5

Built on by

Cited by year (2026 to 14 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2026: 1.

1 paper.

Similar, not cited

Close in wording, no citation either way

  1. 2025Weighted Conditional Flow Matching
  2. 2026Improved techniques for fine-tuning flow models via adjoint matching: a deterministic control pipeline
  3. 2026On Variance Reduction in Learning Mean Flows
  4. 2026When Can Conditional Flow Matching Replace Pointwise Negative Log-Likelihood?
  5. 2026Gradual Fine-Tuning for Flow Matching Models
  6. 2024Adjoint Matching: Fine-tuning Flow and Diffusion Generative Models with Memoryless Stochastic Optimal Control
  7. 2026Weighted Adjoint Matching: Finetuning Flow Matching Models with Time-Dependent Control Cost
  8. 2026Deterministic Prediction as Global Velocity: Flow Matching for Probabilistic Time-Series Forecast