Preference-Optimized Generative Models for Underconstrained Inference in Particle Physics

13 Jul 2026, 17:30
1h

Speaker

Yi-Ren Wu (National Taiwan University (TW))

Description

Precise reconstruction of event kinematics in the presence of invisible particles constitutes a fundamental underconstrained inference problem in particle physics. In processes such as dileptonic $t\bar{t}$ production, multiple undetected neutrinos lead to a multimodal solution space, where several kinematically consistent configurations can explain a single observed event.

We present a preference-optimized generative framework for underconstrained inference, built on the event-level foundation model EveNet. Our approach augments a diffusion-based generative model with Direct Group Preference Optimization (DGPO), a post-training strategy that shifts the learned distribution toward physically preferred solutions while preserving its multimodal structure.

Evaluated on the $t\bar{t}$ dilepton channel, the preference-optimized model improves reconstruction fidelity and reduces unfolded uncertainties compared to both the baseline EveNet diffusion model and $\nu^2$-Flows across key observables. These results establish preference optimization as an effective paradigm for generative inference in underconstrained systems, with direct implications for precision measurements at the LHC.

Authors

Shih-Chieh Hsu (University of Washington Seattle (US)) Stathes Paganis (National Taiwan University) Ting-Hsiang Hsu (National Taiwan University (TW)) Yi-Ren Wu (National Taiwan University (TW)) Yuan-Tang Chou (University of Washington (US)) Yulei Zhang (University of Washington (US))

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