Retrieval
What is an embedding?
An embedding is a numeric vector that places a passage, frame, or other piece in a space where similar items sit near each other.
Updated
How it works
- A model reads the piece and writes a vector.
- Pieces with similar meaning land near each other.
- Search ranks neighbors of a query vector. The vector is not a substitute for keeping the source.
What it is not
It is not the original file, and it is not a keyword token.
embedding: this, and the thing it is confused with
| This | Not this | |
|---|---|---|
| Represents | Meaning as numbers | The raw file |
| Comparable across | Pieces from the same model | Vectors from two unrelated models |
| You still store | The passage or frame | Only the vector |
Where Pixeltable fits
Pixeltable stores the source column and can declare an embedding index on it, so the vector is derived, not a second copy you load.
Questions
- How does embedding work?
- A model reads the piece and writes a vector. Pieces with similar meaning land near each other. Search ranks neighbors of a query vector. The vector is not a substitute for keeping the source.
- What is embedding often confused with?
- It is not the original file, and it is not a keyword token.