Data augmentation using diffusion models to enhance inverse Ising inference
This is a proof-of-concept for enhancing data science in physics-related problems, though it appears incremental as it applies an existing generative method to a new application area.
The study tackled the problem of limited data in parameter inference by using diffusion models for data augmentation, demonstrating improved performance in inverse Ising inference and neural activity reconstruction.
Identifying model parameters from observed configurations poses a fundamental challenge in data science, especially with limited data. Recently, diffusion models have emerged as a novel paradigm in generative machine learning, capable of producing new samples that closely mimic observed data. These models learn the gradient of model probabilities, bypassing the need for cumbersome calculations of partition functions across all possible configurations. We explore whether diffusion models can enhance parameter inference by augmenting small datasets. Our findings demonstrate this potential through a synthetic task involving inverse Ising inference and a real-world application of reconstructing missing values in neural activity data. This study serves as a proof-of-concept for using diffusion models for data augmentation in physics-related problems, thereby opening new avenues in data science.