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Retrieval & EmbeddingsMedium· HNSW· Graph Algorithms· Reachability

Why would a nearest-neighbor graph deliberately connect...

In a nearest-neighbor graph, k-nearest edges within a cluster often point in the same direction, which can lead to greedy search getting stuck. HNSW uses a selection heuristic to retain certain ‘long’ edges to ensure the graph remains navigable, allowing the search to traverse between clusters and improve overall recall.

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