Hybrid Search: Using BM25 + Vector Search to Cover Each Other's Blind Spots
Vector search handles semantics; BM25 handles keywords. Combining them with RRF is what lets you handle both fuzzy queries and exact terms at the same time.
Vector search handles semantics; BM25 handles keywords. Combining them with RRF is what lets you handle both fuzzy queries and exact terms at the same time.
BM25 only recognizes words that appear in the query. SPLADE infers related terms and adds them to the search, gaining partial semantic capability while preserving the precision of keyword search.