What is a Bi-Encoder?
An encoder that independently generates embeddings for queries and documents for scalable retrieval.
More about Bi-Encoder:
Bi-Encoders independently encode queries and documents into vector embeddings, allowing for efficient similarity computation in vector databases. While less accurate than cross-encoders, bi-encoders are computationally efficient, making them ideal for large-scale retrieval tasks like dense retrieval.
Bi-encoders are a core component in systems like retrieval augmentation pipelines and semantic search, enabling fast and scalable retrieval.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the advantages of bi-encoders?
They enable efficient and scalable retrieval by precomputing embeddings for queries and documents.
How do bi-encoders compare to cross-encoders?
Bi-encoders are faster and more scalable but less accurate than cross-encoders, which analyze query-document interactions.