Physics-Constrained Fine-Tuning of Flow-Matching Models for Generation and Inverse Problems

ICLR 2026 Conference Submission17809 Authors

Keywords: Generative Modeling, Physics‑Informed Machine Learning, Inverse Problems, Parameter Identification

Abstract: We present a framework for fine-tuning flow-matching generative models to enforce physical constraints and solve inverse problems in scientific systems. Starting from a model trained on low-fidelity or observational data, we apply a differentiable post-training procedure that minimizes weak-form residuals of governing partial differential equations (PDEs), promoting physical consistency and adherence to boundary conditions without distorting the underlying learned distribution. To infer unknown physical inputs, such as source terms, material parameters, or boundary data, we augment the generative process with a learnable latent parameter predictor and propose a joint optimization strategy. The resulting model produces physically valid field solutions alongside plausible estimates of hidden parameters, effectively addressing ill-posed inverse problems in a data-driven yet physics-aware manner. We validate our method on canonical PDE problems, demonstrating improved satisfaction of physical constraints and accurate recovery of latent coefficients. Further, we confirm cross-domain utility through fine-tuning of natural-image models. Our approach bridges generative modelling and scientific inference, opening new avenues for simulation-augmented discovery and data-efficient modelling of physical systems.

Primary Area: generative models

Submission Number: 17809