{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7138925379","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1609/aaai.v40i43.41035","title":"Efficient Few-Step Solution Generation via Discrete Flow Matching for Combinatorial Optimization","display_name":"Efficient Few-Step Solution Generation via Discrete Flow Matching for Combinatorial Optimization","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-03-14","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7138925379","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1609/aaai.v40i43.41035"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1609/aaai.v40i43.41035","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1609/aaai.v40i43.41035","pdf_url":"https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AAAI/article/download/41035/44996","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4210191458","display_name":"Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence","issn_l":"2159-5399","issn":["2159-5399","2374-3468"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320058","host_organization_name":"Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320058"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence"],"type":"conference"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"conference-paper","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"diamond","oa_url":"https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AAAI/article/download/41035/44996","any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5035058343","display_name":"Yuanshu Li","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1014-6714"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I194450716","display_name":"Jilin University","ror":"https://ror.org/00js3aw79","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I194450716"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Yuanshu Li","raw_affiliation_strings":["Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I194450716"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5129860171","display_name":"Di Wang","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210092122","display_name":"BC Research (Canada)","ror":"https://ror.org/00dr4nw61","country_code":"CA","type":"facility","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210092122"]}],"countries":["CA"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Di Wang","raw_affiliation_strings":["Joint NTU-UBC Research Centre of Excellence in Active Living for the Elderly, Nanyang Technological University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Joint NTU-UBC Research Centre of Excellence in Active Living for the Elderly, Nanyang Technological University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210092122"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5059747977","display_name":"Wei Du","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9872-4821"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I194450716","display_name":"Jilin University","ror":"https://ror.org/00js3aw79","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I194450716"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Wei Du","raw_affiliation_strings":["Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I194450716"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5129892358","display_name":"Xuan Wu","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I194450716","display_name":"Jilin University","ror":"https://ror.org/00js3aw79","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I194450716"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Xuan Wu","raw_affiliation_strings":["Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I194450716"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5108518023","display_name":"Peng Zhao","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0005-8910-8847"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I194450716","display_name":"Jilin University","ror":"https://ror.org/00js3aw79","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I194450716"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Peng Zhao","raw_affiliation_strings":["Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I194450716"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5129907947","display_name":"Yubin Xiao","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I194450716","display_name":"Jilin University","ror":"https://ror.org/00js3aw79","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I194450716"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Yubin Xiao","raw_affiliation_strings":["Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I194450716"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5101580999","display_name":"Yi Zhou","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4097-2605"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I194450716","display_name":"Jilin University","ror":"https://ror.org/00js3aw79","country_code":"CN","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I194450716"]}],"countries":["CN"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"You Zhou","raw_affiliation_strings":["Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Key Laboratory of Symbolic Computation and Knowledge Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Computer Science and Technology, Jilin University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I194450716"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":2,"institutions_distinct_count":2,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":true,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":"40","issue":"43","first_page":"37063","last_page":"37071"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11596","display_name":"Constraint Satisfaction and Optimization","score":0.20100000500679016,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1705","display_name":"Computer Networks and Communications"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11596","display_name":"Constraint Satisfaction and Optimization","score":0.20100000500679016,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1705","display_name":"Computer Networks and Communications"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10848","display_name":"Advanced Multi-Objective Optimization Algorithms","score":0.18649999797344208,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1703","display_name":"Computational Theory and Mathematics"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10567","display_name":"Vehicle Routing Optimization Methods","score":0.1145000010728836,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/2209","display_name":"Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/22","display_name":"Engineering"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/inference","display_name":"Inference","score":0.5817999839782715},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/heuristic","display_name":"Heuristic","score":0.5340999960899353},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/stability","display_name":"Stability (learning theory)","score":0.5253999829292297},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/matching","display_name":"Matching (statistics)","score":0.484499990940094},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/combinatorial-optimization","display_name":"Combinatorial optimization","score":0.4465000033378601},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/optimization-problem","display_name":"Optimization problem","score":0.4009000062942505},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/quality","display_name":"Quality (philosophy)","score":0.36649999022483826}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C126255220","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q141495","display_name":"Mathematical optimization","level":1,"score":0.6358000040054321},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776214188","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q408386","display_name":"Inference","level":2,"score":0.5817999839782715},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.5674999952316284},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C173801870","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q201413","display_name":"Heuristic","level":2,"score":0.5340999960899353},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C112972136","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7595718","display_name":"Stability (learning theory)","level":2,"score":0.5253999829292297},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C165064840","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1321061","display_name":"Matching (statistics)","level":2,"score":0.484499990940094},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C52692508","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1333872","display_name":"Combinatorial optimization","level":2,"score":0.4465000033378601},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C137836250","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q984063","display_name":"Optimization problem","level":2,"score":0.4009000062942505},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779530757","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1207505","display_name":"Quality (philosophy)","level":2,"score":0.36649999022483826},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C11413529","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8366","display_name":"Algorithm","level":1,"score":0.35269999504089355},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C145671259","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1493786","display_name":"Discrete optimization","level":3,"score":0.3456000089645386},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C38349280","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1434290","display_name":"Flow (mathematics)","level":2,"score":0.32899999618530273},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C33923547","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q395","display_name":"Mathematics","level":0,"score":0.32710000872612},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C175859090","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q322212","display_name":"Travelling salesman problem","level":2,"score":0.32190001010894775},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C55689738","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15963867","display_name":"Discrete time and continuous time","level":2,"score":0.29510000348091125},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C194387892","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1747770","display_name":"Stochastic optimization","level":2,"score":0.28290000557899475},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2777472644","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q16968992","display_name":"Approximate inference","level":3,"score":0.28029999136924744},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C167966045","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5532625","display_name":"Generative model","level":3,"score":0.266400009393692}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1609/aaai.v40i43.41035","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1609/aaai.v40i43.41035","pdf_url":"https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AAAI/article/download/41035/44996","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4210191458","display_name":"Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence","issn_l":"2159-5399","issn":["2159-5399","2374-3468"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320058","host_organization_name":"Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320058"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence"],"type":"conference"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:ojs.aaai.org:article/41035","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AAAI/article/view/41035","pdf_url":null,"source":null,"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"2159-5399","raw_type":"info:eu-repo/semantics/article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.1609/aaai.v40i43.41035","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1609/aaai.v40i43.41035","pdf_url":"https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/AAAI/article/download/41035/44996","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4210191458","display_name":"Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence","issn_l":"2159-5399","issn":["2159-5399","2374-3468"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320058","host_organization_name":"Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320058"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence"],"type":"conference"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence","raw_type":"journal-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320327282","display_name":"Department of Science and Technology of Jilin Province","ror":null}],"has_content":{"pdf":true,"grobid_xml":true},"content_urls":{"pdf":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7138925379.pdf","grobid_xml":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7138925379.grobid-xml"},"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Combinatorial":[0],"optimization":[1],"problems":[2],"(COPs)":[3],"are":[4],"fundamental":[5],"to":[6,50],"many":[7],"real-world":[8],"applications":[9],"where":[10],"efficiently":[11],"producing":[12],"high-quality":[13],"solutions":[14],"is":[15],"critical.":[16],"Recent":[17],"advances":[18],"in":[19,104,136],"diffusion-based":[20],"non-autoregressive":[21],"models":[22],"have":[23],"reformulated":[24],"solving":[25,70],"COPs":[26],"as":[27],"a":[28],"generative":[29],"process,":[30],"achieving":[31],"promising":[32],"results.":[33],"However,":[34],"almost":[35],"all":[36],"of":[37,138],"these":[38,58],"methods":[39],"still":[40],"suffer":[41],"from":[42],"accumulated":[43],"errors":[44],"and":[45,74,84,91,121,133,141],"high":[46],"inference":[47,89,142],"costs":[48],"due":[49],"the":[51],"multi-step":[52],"stochastic":[53],"denoising":[54],"process.":[55],"To":[56],"address":[57],"issues,":[59],"we":[60,94],"propose":[61],"EFLOCO,":[62],"an":[63,96],"efficient":[64],"discrete":[65],"flow":[66],"matching":[67],"method":[68,128],"for":[69],"COPs,":[71],"learning":[72],"structured":[73],"deterministic":[75],"solution":[76,139],"trajectories.":[77],"EFLOCO":[78],"replaces":[79],"noise-driven":[80],"updates":[81],"with":[82],"smooth":[83],"guided":[85],"transitions,":[86],"thereby":[87],"improves":[88],"stability":[90],"quality.":[92],"Furthermore,":[93],"introduce":[95],"adaptive":[97],"time-step":[98],"scheduler":[99],"that":[100,126],"makes":[101],"more":[102],"efforts":[103],"critical":[105],"transition":[106],"regions,":[107],"yielding":[108],"strong":[109],"performance":[110],"under":[111],"few-step":[112],"constraints.":[113],"Experiments":[114],"on":[115],"standard":[116],"Traveling":[117],"Salesman":[118],"Problems":[119],"(TSPs)":[120],"Asymmetric":[122],"TSPs":[123],"(ATSPs)":[124],"show":[125],"our":[127],"consistently":[129],"outperforms":[130],"both":[131],"learning-based":[132],"heuristic":[134],"baselines":[135],"terms":[137],"quality":[140],"speed.":[143]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-14T23:27:15.235271","created_date":"2026-03-20T00:00:00"}
