Multiplicative Diffusion Models: Beyond Gaussian Latents

ICLR 2026 Conference Submission18727 Authors

Keywords: score-based diffusion, generative modeling, multiplicative noise, non-Gaussian latent variables, conservative dynamics, heavy-tailed distributions, Fokker–Planck equation

TL;DR: Generative Modeling with Multiplicative Score-Based Diffusions

Abstract:

We introduce a new class of generative models based on multiplicative score-driven diffusion. In contrast to classical diffusion models that rely on additive Gaussian noise, our construction is driven by skew-symmetric multiplicative noise. It yields conservative forward-backward dynamics inspired by principles of physics. We prove that the forward process converges exponentially fast to a tractable non-Gaussian latent distribution, and we characterize this limit explicitly. A key property of our diffusion is that it preserves the distribution of data norms, resulting in a latent space that is inherently data-aware. Unlike the standard Gaussian prior, this structure better adapts to heavy-tailed and anisotropic data, providing a closer match between latent and observed distributions.
On the algorithmic side, we derive the reverse-time stochastic differential equation and associated probability flow, and show that sliced score matching furnishes a consistent estimator for the backward dynamics. This estimation procedure is equivalent to maximizing an evidence lower bound (ELBO), bridging our framework with established variational principles.
Empirically, we demonstrate the advantages of our model in challenging settings, including correlated Cauchy distributions and experimental fluid dynamics data. Across these tasks, our approach more accurately captures extreme events and tail behavior than classical diffusion models, particularly in the low-data regime.
Our results suggest that multiplicative conservative diffusions open a principled alternative to current score-based generative models, with strong potential for domains where rare but critical events dominate.

Primary Area: generative models

Submission Number: 18727