Stochastic Thermodynamics and SDE-based Generative Models

Yaowen Zhang

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arXiv · 2606.18290

Stochastic Thermodynamics and SDE-based Generative Models

Yaowen Zhang

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Abstract

SDE-based generative models, including diffusion models and the Schr\"odinger bridge, have found broad applications in signal processing tasks such as speech enhancement, image restoration, and time-series generation. This note presents a modeling framework for such models within the context of stochastic thermodynamics. The main results of this note are trajectory-level definitions of work, heat, and entropy production, along with a generalized Jarzynski identity and a second-law-like inequality. The proposed framework extends the original Jarzynski setup to accommodate time-dependent bath temperature and nonconservative driving forces. This thermodynamic perspective may deepen our understanding of diffusion models and the Schr\"odinger bridge from a nonequilibrium statistical mechanics viewpoint.

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Yaowen Zhang. 2026-06-13. Stochastic Thermodynamics and SDE-based Generative Models. https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.18290

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