Definition
A retrieval strategy that merges the results of semantic (dense) vector search with traditional lexical (sparse) search to balance conceptual relevance against keyword precision, though it introduces architectural complexity and latency via required rank fusion steps.
Distinguish from multi-database queries; it specifically refers to fusing high-dimensional embeddings with frequency-based algorithms like BM25.
"A library search that simultaneously uses a conceptual 'mood map' of the books and a precise alphabetical subject index to find a specific title."
- Reciprocal Rank Fusion (RRF)(Component)
- BM25(Component)
- Dense Vector Embeddings(Prerequisite)
- Cross-Encoder Reranking(Component)
Conceptual Overview
A retrieval strategy that merges the results of semantic (dense) vector search with traditional lexical (sparse) search to balance conceptual relevance against keyword precision, though it introduces architectural complexity and latency via required rank fusion steps.
Disambiguation
Distinguish from multi-database queries; it specifically refers to fusing high-dimensional embeddings with frequency-based algorithms like BM25.
Visual Analog
A library search that simultaneously uses a conceptual 'mood map' of the books and a precise alphabetical subject index to find a specific title.