Denoising Score Matching with Random Features: Insights on Diffusion Models from Precise Learning Curves

We derive asymptotically precise expressions for test and train errors of denoising score matching (DSM) in generative diffusion models. The score function is parameterized by random features neural networks, with the target distribution being $d$-dimensional standard Gaussian. We operate in a regime where the dimension $d$, number of data samples $n$, and number of features $p$ tend to infinity while keeping the ratios $\psi_n=\frac{n}{d}$ and $\psi_p=\frac{p}{d}$ fixed. By characterizing the test and train errors, we identify regimes of generalization and memorization in diffusion models. Furthermore, our work sheds light on the conditions enhancing either generalization or memorization. Consistent with prior empirical observations, our findings indicate that the model complexity ($p$) and the number of noise samples per data sample ($m$) used during DSM significantly influence generalization and memorization behaviors.

@article{george2025_2502.00336,
  title={ Denoising Score Matching with Random Features: Insights on Diffusion Models from Precise Learning Curves },
  author={ Anand Jerry George and Rodrigo Veiga and Nicolas Macris },
  journal={arXiv preprint arXiv:2502.00336},
  year={ 2025 }
}