Introduction to Diffusion Models for Generative AI
Chapter 1: Generative Modeling Fundamentals
Overview of Generative Models
Motivation for Diffusion Models
The Core Idea: Noise and Denoise
Probabilistic Framework Introduction
Quiz for Chapter 1
Chapter 2: The Forward Diffusion Process
Defining the Markov Chain
Gaussian Noise Schedule
Mathematical Formulation per Step
Sampling from Intermediate Steps
Properties of the Forward Process
Practice: Simulating Forward Diffusion
Quiz for Chapter 2
Chapter 3: The Reverse Diffusion Process
The Goal: Reversing the Markov Chain
Approximating the Reverse Transition
Parameterizing the Reverse Process with Neural Networks
Predicting the Noise Component
Mathematical Formulation of the Denoising Step
Quiz for Chapter 3
Chapter 4: Model Architecture and Training
The U-Net Architecture for Noise Prediction
Integrating Timestep Information
Defining the Training Objective
Simplified Training Loss Derivation
The Training Algorithm
Hands-on Practical: Setting up the U-Net
Quiz for Chapter 4
Chapter 5: Sampling and Generation Process
Generating Data from Noise
The DDPM Sampling Algorithm
Understanding Sampling Variance
Introduction to Faster Sampling: DDIM
The DDIM Sampling Algorithm
Trade-offs Between DDPM and DDIM
Practice: Implementing Sampling Loops
Quiz for Chapter 5
Chapter 6: Conditional Generation with Diffusion Models
Motivation for Conditional Generation
Classifier Guidance
Classifier-Free Guidance (CFG)
Implementing Classifier-Free Guidance
Text Conditioning Basics
Architecture Modifications for Conditioning
Hands-on Practical: Applying Guidance
Quiz for Chapter 6
Sampling from Intermediate Steps
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- Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Models, Jonathan Ho, Ajay Jain, Pieter Abbeel, 2020 Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS) 33 DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2006.11239 - This foundational paper introduced the modern formulation of Denoising Diffusion Probabilistic Models (DDPMs) and extensively details the forward diffusion process, including the direct sampling formula from x0.
- Deep Unsupervised Learning using Nonequilibrium Thermodynamics, Jascha Sohl-Dickstein, Eric A. Weiss, Niru Maheswaranathan, Surya Ganguli, 2015 Proceedings of the 32nd International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML) DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.1503.03585 - The original paper that introduced the concept of diffusion models for generative AI, establishing the framework for the forward and reverse processes.
- Diffusion Models: A Unified Perspective, Jonathan Timcheck, Sumit Bam Shrestha, Daniel Ben Dayan Rubin, Adam Kupryjanow, Garrick Orchard, Lukasz Pindor, Timothy Shea, Mike Davies, 2023 arXiv preprint arXiv:2303.09503 DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2303.09503 - A comprehensive survey providing a unified view of various diffusion models, including detailed explanations of the forward process and its mathematical underpinnings.
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