# Vector Search

> A mechanism that finds records whose embeddings lie close to a query's embedding.

Record: `architecture:vector-search`
Kind: mechanism
Layer: [Correctness Core](https://banes-lab.com/records/layer/correctness-core.md)
Severity: contextual
Scope: retrieval, search, RAG
Canonical: https://banes-lab.com/ontology#architecture-vector-search

Listed in [Architecture principles](https://banes-lab.com/api/records/architecture.md), after [Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/retrieval-augmented-generation.md) and before [Knowledge Graphs](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/knowledge-graphs.md).

## Repair

- Refactored by: Add Embeddings, Add Vector Index, Tune Retrieval
- Detected by: poor semantic recall
- Violated by: semantic retrieval requirement implemented with only brittle keyword matching
- Measured by: retrieval metrics, [latency](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/latency.md)
- Enforced by: retrieval evaluation

## Requires

- [Embeddings](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/embeddings.md)
- [Vector Index](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/vector-index.md)

## Reinforces

- [Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture/retrieval-augmented-generation.md)
- [Semantic Search](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/semantic-search.md)

## Enables

- [Similarity Retrieval](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/similarity-retrieval.md)

## Conflicts with

- [Exact Keyword Search Only](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/exact-keyword-search-only.md)

## In tension with

- [Explainability/Recall](https://banes-lab.com/records/lexicon/explainability-recall.md)

## Tensions

- [Vector Search / Explainability/Recall](https://banes-lab.com/records/tension/explainability-recall-vector-search.md)

## Severity

- [contextual](https://banes-lab.com/records/vocabulary/severity-contextual.md)

## Category

- [Model Architecture](https://banes-lab.com/records/architecture-category/model-architecture.md)

## Linked from

- [Systems built around a model](https://banes-lab.com/software-architecture/scale/systems-built-around-a-model.md)
- [Model Architecture](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/principles/architecture-category-model-architecture.md)
- [Model Architecture](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/lexicon/lexicon-category-model-architecture.md)
- [Severity levels](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/schema/the-vocabulary-severity.md)
- [The resolutions](https://banes-lab.com/ontology/schema/the-resolutions.md)