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Muchen Li

dblp:122/2666 · DBLP profile ↗
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10ranked-venue papers
3as first author
8since 2021 · last 2025
0000-0001-8767-3467ORCID · corroborated

Domains — the database's venue-derived domains; a paper can count in several

Artificial intelligence and machine learning · 7 · 2 first-author · 6 since 2021Graphics, computer vision, multimedia, augmented reality and games · 4 · 1 first-author · 2 since 2021Human-computer interaction and ubiquitous computing · 2 · 1 first-author · 2 since 2021Applied, interdisciplinary, general and emerging computing · 2 · 1 first-author · 2 since 2021

Expertise — from the expertise taxonomy: the topics of the expert's papers under the CCF categories. A weight counts papers with recency: 1 for a paper about the topic, 0.3 when the topic is its context, halved every five years.

Artificial intelligence
7 papers
Reinforcement learning · 21% Language models and text generation · 17% Generative modeling · 15%
Computer graphics and multimedia
2 papers
Computer animation and physical simulation · 50% Image and video processing · 50%

Topics — the 29 heaviest of 31, each with the papers that count most for it

TopicWeightPapersLastEvidence papers
Machine learning › Generative modeling
diffusion model
0.912025
LatentHOI: On the Generalizable Hand Object Motion Generation with Latent Hand Diffusion · CVPR 2025
Machine learning › Reinforcement learning › policy optimization
group relative policy optimization
0.912025
On the Effect of Negative Gradient in Group Relative Deep Reinforcement Optimization · NeurIPS 2025
Natural language and speech › Language models and text generation
large language model reasoning
0.912025
On the Effect of Negative Gradient in Group Relative Deep Reinforcement Optimization · NeurIPS 2025
Machine learning › Generative modeling › diffusion model
latent diffusion model
0.912025
LatentHOI: On the Generalizable Hand Object Motion Generation with Latent Hand Diffusion · CVPR 2025
Natural language and speech › Language models and text generation
mathematical reasoning
0.912025
Leveraging Online Olympiad-Level Math Problems for LLMs Training and Contamination-Resistant Evaluation · ICML 2025
Machine learning › Reinforcement learning
policy optimization
0.912025
On the Effect of Negative Gradient in Group Relative Deep Reinforcement Optimization · NeurIPS 2025
Machine learning › Reinforcement learning › reinforcement learning for NLP
reinforcement fine-tuning
0.912025
On the Effect of Negative Gradient in Group Relative Deep Reinforcement Optimization · NeurIPS 2025
Machine learning › Reinforcement learning
reinforcement learning from human feedback
0.912025
On the Effect of Negative Gradient in Group Relative Deep Reinforcement Optimization · NeurIPS 2025
Computer animation and physical simulation
motion synthesis
0.912025
LatentHOI: On the Generalizable Hand Object Motion Generation with Latent Hand Diffusion · CVPR 2025
Machine learning › Graph learning
graph neural network
0.812024
Learning Latent Structures in Network Games via Data-Dependent Gated-Prior Graph Variational Autoencoders · ICML 2024
Machine learning › Graph learning › graph inference
network structure inference
0.812024
Learning Latent Structures in Network Games via Data-Dependent Gated-Prior Graph Variational Autoencoders · ICML 2024
Machine learning › Generative modeling
variational autoencoder
0.812024
Learning Latent Structures in Network Games via Data-Dependent Gated-Prior Graph Variational Autoencoders · ICML 2024
Machine learning › Graph learning › graph autoencoder
variational graph autoencoder
0.812024
Learning Latent Structures in Network Games via Data-Dependent Gated-Prior Graph Variational Autoencoders · ICML 2024
Computer vision › Image recognition and object detection
object detection
0.622021
TDAF: Top-Down Attention Framework for Vision Tasks · AAAI 2021
TubeTK: Adopting Tubes to Track Multi-Object in a One-Step Training Model · CVPR 2020
Machine learning › Deep learning architectures and training
attention mechanism
0.512021
TDAF: Top-Down Attention Framework for Vision Tasks · AAAI 2021
Computer vision › Vision and language › visual grounding
referring expression comprehension
0.512021
Referring Transformer: A One-step Approach to Multi-task Visual Grounding · NeurIPS 2021
Computer vision › Segmentation and scene understanding
referring image segmentation
0.512021
Referring Transformer: A One-step Approach to Multi-task Visual Grounding · NeurIPS 2021
Machine learning › Deep learning architectures and training › attention mechanism › selective attention
top-down attention
0.512021
TDAF: Top-Down Attention Framework for Vision Tasks · AAAI 2021
Computer vision › Vision and language
visual grounding
0.512021
Referring Transformer: A One-step Approach to Multi-task Visual Grounding · NeurIPS 2021
Computer vision › Video understanding and tracking › multi-object tracking
end-to-end tracking
0.412020
TubeTK: Adopting Tubes to Track Multi-Object in a One-Step Training Model · CVPR 2020
Computer vision › Video understanding and tracking
multi-object tracking
0.412020
TubeTK: Adopting Tubes to Track Multi-Object in a One-Step Training Model · CVPR 2020
Computer vision › Video understanding and tracking › multi-object tracking
tracking-by-detection
0.412020
TubeTK: Adopting Tubes to Track Multi-Object in a One-Step Training Model · CVPR 2020
Image and video processing › image restoration
image denoising
0.412020
Learning Spatial and Spatio-Temporal Pixel Aggregations for Image and Video Denoising · IEEE Trans. Image Process. 2020
Image and video processing › video restoration
video denoising
0.412020
Learning Spatial and Spatio-Temporal Pixel Aggregations for Image and Video Denoising · IEEE Trans. Image Process. 2020
Machine learning › Transfer learning and domain adaptation
fine-tuning
0.312025
Leveraging Online Olympiad-Level Math Problems for LLMs Training and Contamination-Resistant Evaluation · ICML 2025
Computer vision › 3D vision
hand-object interaction
0.312025
LatentHOI: On the Generalizable Hand Object Motion Generation with Latent Hand Diffusion · CVPR 2025
Natural language and speech › Language models and text generation
instruction tuning
0.312025
Leveraging Online Olympiad-Level Math Problems for LLMs Training and Contamination-Resistant Evaluation · ICML 2025
Computer vision › Video understanding and tracking
action recognition
0.112021
TDAF: Top-Down Attention Framework for Vision Tasks · AAAI 2021
Computer vision › 3D vision
pose estimation
0.112021
TDAF: Top-Down Attention Framework for Vision Tasks · AAAI 2021

Methods — techniques the papers use, named apart from their topics

variational autoencoder · 1.7latent diffusion · 1.7contrastive learning · 1.7transformer · 1.3token reweighting · 0.9group relative policy optimization · 0.9fine-tuning · 0.9direct preference optimization · 0.9automated data extraction · 0.9monte carlo gradient estimation · 0.8spatio-temporal sampling · 0.4regularization · 0.4pixel aggregation network · 0.4
YearPublicationVenuePosition
2025 LatentHOI: On the Generalizable Hand Object Motion Generation with Latent Hand Diffusion
abstract
Current research on generating 3D hand-object interaction motion primarily focuses on in-domain objects. Generalization to unseen objects is essential for practical applications, yet it remains both challenging and largely unexplored. In this paper, we propose LatentHOI, a novel approach designed to tackle the challenges of generalizing hand-object interaction synthesis to unseen objects. Our main insight lies in decoupling high-level temporal motion from fine-grained spatial hand-object interactions via a latent diffusion model coupled with a Grasping Variational Autoencoder (Grasp-VAE). This configuration introduces regularization by enforcing a conditional dependency between spatial grasping and temporal motion, as well as through the regularized latent space for better generalization ability. We conducted extensive experiments in an unseen-object setting on both single-hand grasping and bi-manual motion datasets, including GRAB, DexYCB†, and OakInk. Quantitative and qualitative evaluations demonstrate that our method significantly enhances the realism and physical plausibility of generated motions for unseen objects, both in single and bimanual manipulations, compared to the state-of-the-art.
Muchen Li, Sammy Joe Christen, Chengde Wan, Yujun Cai, Renjie Liao 0001, Leonid Sigal, Shugao Ma
CVPR1
2025 Leveraging Online Olympiad-Level Math Problems for LLMs Training and Contamination-Resistant Evaluation
abstract
Advances in Large Language Models (LLMs) have sparked interest in their ability to solve Olympiad-level math problems. However, the training and evaluation of these models are constrained by the limited size and quality of available datasets, as creating large-scale data for such advanced problems requires extensive effort from human experts. In addition, current benchmarks are prone to contamination, leading to unreliable evaluations. In this paper, we present an automated pipeline that leverages the rich resources of the Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) forum, which predominantly features Olympiad-level problems and community-driven solutions. Using open-source LLMs, we develop a method to extract question-answer pairs from the forum, resulting in AoPS-Instruct, a dataset of more than 600,000 high-quality QA pairs. Our experiments demonstrate that fine-tuning LLMs on AoPS-Instruct improves their reasoning abilities across various benchmarks. Moreover, we build an automatic pipeline that introduces LiveAoPSBench, an evolving evaluation set with timestamps, derived from the latest forum data, providing a contamination-resistant benchmark for assessing LLM performance. Notably, we observe a significant decline in LLM performance over time, suggesting their success on older examples may stem from pre-training exposure rather than true reasoning ability. Our work presents a scalable approach to creating and maintaining large-scale, high-quality datasets for advanced math reasoning, offering valuable insights into the capabilities and limitations of LLMs in this domain.
Sadegh Mahdavi, Muchen Li, Kaiwen Liu, Christos Thrampoulidis, Leonid Sigal, Renjie Liao 0001
ICML2
2025 On the Effect of Negative Gradient in Group Relative Deep Reinforcement Optimization
abstract
Reinforcement learning (RL) has become popular in enhancing the reasoning capabilities of large language models (LLMs), with Group Relative Policy Optimization (GRPO) emerging as a widely used algorithm in recent systems. Despite GRPO's widespread adoption, we identify a previously unrecognized phenomenon we term Lazy Likelihood Displacement (LLD), wherein the likelihood of correct responses marginally increases or even decreases during training. This behavior mirrors a recently discovered misalignment issue in Direct Preference Optimization (DPO), attributed to the influence of negative gradients. We provide a theoretical analysis of GRPO’s learning dynamic, identifying the source of LLD as the naive penalization of all tokens in incorrect responses with the same strength. To address this, we develop a method called NTHR, which downweights penalties on tokens contributing to the LLD. Unlike prior DPO-based approaches, NTHR takes advantage of GRPO’s group-based structure, using correct responses as anchors to identify influential tokens. Experiments on math reasoning benchmarks demonstrate that NTHR effectively mitigates LLD, yielding consistent performance gains across models ranging from 0.5B to 3B parameters.
Wenlong Deng, Muchen Li, Danica J. Sutherland, Christos Thrampoulidis
NeurIPS3
2025 CareEmo: Supporting Caregivers with Personalized Communication Approaches to Enhance Older Adults' Emotional Well-being
abstract
Memory plays a crucial role in caregiving, helping caregivers to address the emotional needs of older adult care recipients. However, this is the burden, especially when caregivers need to serve multiple care recipients. This study presents CareEmo, an assistant that delivers memory and emotional support to caregivers via Bluetooth earbuds, enabling personalized communication and enhancing care recipients’ emotional well-being. Through a formative study that included field observations and interviews with caregivers, family members and care recipients, we designed modules: emotion recognition, user profile creation, and care advice provision. CareEmo identifies emotional changes in care recipients, summarizes their emotional needs and interests, then provides caregivers with appropriate advice based on recipients’ memories and caregiving histories. An empirical study involving 16 participants (8 caregivers and 8 care recipients), showed that CareEmo improved both caregiver and care recipient emotional experience and contributed a high quality of emotional caregiving.
Muchen Li, Wei Xiang 0008, Mengyun Jiang, Xueting Wu
SMC1
2025 Driver Assistant: Persuading Drivers to Adjust Secondary Tasks Using Large Language Models
abstract
Level 3 automated driving systems allows drivers to engage in secondary tasks while diminishing their perception of risk. In the event of an emergency necessitating driver intervention, the system will alert the driver with a limited window for reaction and imposing a substantial cognitive burden. To address this challenge, this study employs a Large Language Model (LLM) to assist drivers in maintaining an appropriate attention on road conditions through a "humanized" persuasive advice. Our tool leverages the road conditions encountered by Level 3 systems as triggers, proactively steering driver behavior via both visual and auditory routes. Empirical study indicates that our tool is effective in sustaining driver attention with reduced cognitive load and coordinating secondary tasks with takeover behavior. Our work provides insights into the potential of using LLMs to support drivers during multi-task automated driving.
Wei Xiang 0008, Muchen Li, Manling Zheng, Hanfei Zhu, Mengyun Jiang, Lingyun Sun
SMC2
2024 Learning Latent Structures in Network Games via Data-Dependent Gated-Prior Graph Variational Autoencoders
abstract
In network games, individuals interact strategically within network environments to maximize their utilities. However, obtaining network structures is challenging. In this work, we propose an unsupervised learning model, called data-dependent gated-prior graph variational autoencoder (GPGVAE), that infers the underlying latent interaction type (strategic complement vs. substitute) among individuals and the latent network structure based on their observed actions. Specially, we propose a spectral graph neural network (GNN) based encoder to predict the interaction type and a data-dependent gated prior that models network structures conditioned on the interaction type. We further propose a Transformer based mixture of Bernoulli encoder of network structures and a GNN based decoder of game actions. We systematically study the Monte Carlo gradient estimation methods and effectively train our model in a stage-wise fashion. Extensive experiments across various synthetic and real-world network games demonstrate that our model achieves state-of-the-art performances in inferring network structures and well captures interaction types.
Muchen Li, Yan Leng, Renjie Liao 0001
ICML2
2021 TDAF: Top-Down Attention Framework for Vision Tasks
abstract
Human attention mechanisms often work in a top-down manner, yet it is not well explored in vision research. Here, we propose the Top-Down Attention Framework (TDAF) to capture top-down attentions, which can be easily adopted in most existing models. The designed Recursive Dual-Directional Nested Structure in it forms two sets of orthogonal paths, recursive and structural ones, where bottom-up spatial features and top-down attention features are extracted respectively. Such spatial and attention features are nested deeply, therefore, the proposed framework works in a mixed top-down and bottom-up manner. Empirical evidence shows that our TDAF can capture effective stratified attention information and boost performance. ResNet with TDAF achieves 2.0% improvements on ImageNet. For object detection, the performance is improved by 2.7% AP over FCOS. For pose estimation, TDAF improves the baseline by 1.6%. And for action recognition, the 3D-ResNet adopting TDAF achieves improvements of 1.7% accuracy.
Bo Pang 0003, Yizhuo Li 0001, Muchen Li, Cewu Lu
AAAI4
2021 Referring Transformer: A One-step Approach to Multi-task Visual Grounding
abstract
As an important step towards visual reasoning, visual grounding (e.g., phrase localization, referring expression comprehension / segmentation) has been widely explored. Previous approaches to referring expression comprehension (REC) or segmentation (RES) either suffer from limited performance, due to a two-stage setup, or require the designing of complex task-specific one-stage architectures. In this paper, we propose a simple one-stage multi-task framework for visual grounding tasks. Specifically, we leverage a transformer architecture, where two modalities are fused in a visual-lingual encoder. In the decoder, the model learns to generate contextualized lingual queries which are then decoded and used to directly regress the bounding box and produce a segmentation mask for the corresponding referred regions. With this simple but highly contextualized model, we outperform state-of-the-art methods by a large margin on both REC and RES tasks. We also show that a simple pre-training schedule (on an external dataset) further improves the performance. Extensive experiments and ablations illustrate that our model benefits greatly from contextualized information and multi-task training.
Muchen Li, Leonid Sigal
NeurIPS1
2020 TubeTK: Adopting Tubes to Track Multi-Object in a One-Step Training Model
abstract
Multi-object tracking is a fundamental vision problem that has been studied for a long time. As deep learning brings excellent performances to object detection algorithms, Tracking by Detection (TBD) has become the mainstream tracking framework. Despite the success of TBD, this two-step method is too complicated to train in an end-to-end manner and induces many challenges as well, such as insufficient exploration of video spatial-temporal information, vulnerability when facing object occlusion, and excessive reliance on detection results. To address these challenges, we propose a concise end-to-end model TubeTK which only needs one step training by introducing the "bounding-tube" to indicate temporal-spatial locations of objects in a short video clip. TubeTK provides a novel direction of multi-object tracking, and we demonstrate its potential to solve the above challenges without bells and whistles. We analyze the performance of TubeTK on several MOT benchmarks and provide empirical evidence to show that TubeTK has the ability to overcome occlusions to some extent without any ancillary technologies like Re-ID. Compared with other methods that adopt private detection results, our one-stage end-to-end model achieves state-of-the-art performances even if it adopts no ready-made detection results. We hope that the proposed TubeTK model can serve as a simple but strong alternative for video-based MOT task. The code and model will be publicly available accompanying this paper.
Bo Pang 0003, Yizhuo Li 0001, Muchen Li, Cewu Lu
CVPR4
2020 Learning Spatial and Spatio-Temporal Pixel Aggregations for Image and Video Denoising
abstract
Existing denoising methods typically restore clear results by aggregating pixels from the noisy input. Instead of relying on hand-crafted aggregation schemes, we propose to explicitly learn this process with deep neural networks. We present a spatial pixel aggregation network and learn the pixel sampling and averaging strategies for image denoising. The proposed model naturally adapts to image structures and can effectively improve the denoised results. Furthermore, we develop a spatio-temporal pixel aggregation network for video denoising to efficiently sample pixels across the spatio-temporal space. Our method is able to solve the misalignment issues caused by large motion in dynamic scenes. In addition, we introduce a new regularization term for effectively training the proposed video denoising model. We present extensive analysis of the proposed method and demonstrate that our model performs favorably against the state-of-the-art image and video denoising approaches on both synthetic and real-world data.
Xiangyu Xu 0002, Muchen Li, Wenxiu Sun, Ming-Hsuan Yang 0001
IEEE Trans. Image Process.2