Hybrid Search Score Fusion in Production: Reciprocal Rank Fusion vs. Relative Score Fusion vs. Distribution-Based Score Fusion
Combining lexical search and dense vector retrieval is the standard architecture for modern enterprise retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). Lexical algorithms like BM25 excel at exact token matching, code identifiers, and acronyms, while dense embeddings capture semantic context and paraphrased intent. However, merging these two disparate retrieval streams into a single, coherent ranking presents a fundamental mathematical challenge: lexical engines and vector indices operate in completely inc
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