From 70ec40afd4b1136ba882ea0f4cfc84448564d4da Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: rUv Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2025 18:50:42 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] docs: Improve Compression Tiers section with better explanation MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit - Added clear intro explaining adaptive architecture concept - Used relatable memory hierarchy analogy - Enhanced table with "What Happens" column for clarity - Added note about zero-config automatic tier management 🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) Co-Authored-By: Claude --- README.md | 20 ++++++++++++-------- 1 file changed, 12 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-) diff --git a/README.md b/README.md index bf9e8d264..be0bb4ae9 100644 --- a/README.md +++ b/README.md @@ -205,15 +205,19 @@ Over time, frequently-accessed paths get reinforced, making common queries faste ## Compression Tiers -RuVector automatically compresses cold data: +**The architecture adapts to your data.** Hot paths get full precision and maximum compute. Cold paths compress automatically and throttle resources. Recent data stays crystal clear; historical data optimizes itself in the background. -| Access Frequency | Format | Compression | Example | -|-----------------|--------|-------------|---------| -| Hot (>80%) | f32 | 1x | Active queries | -| Warm (40-80%) | f16 | 2x | Recent docs | -| Cool (10-40%) | PQ8 | 8x | Older content | -| Cold (1-10%) | PQ4 | 16x | Archives | -| Archive (<1%) | Binary | 32x | Rarely used | +Think of it like your computer's memory hierarchy—frequently accessed data lives in fast cache, while older files move to slower, denser storage. RuVector does this automatically for your vectors: + +| Access Frequency | Format | Compression | What Happens | +|-----------------|--------|-------------|--------------| +| **Hot** (>80%) | f32 | 1x | Full precision, instant retrieval | +| **Warm** (40-80%) | f16 | 2x | Slight compression, imperceptible latency | +| **Cool** (10-40%) | PQ8 | 8x | Smart quantization, ~1ms overhead | +| **Cold** (1-10%) | PQ4 | 16x | Heavy compression, still fast search | +| **Archive** (<1%) | Binary | 32x | Maximum density, batch retrieval | + +**No configuration needed.** RuVector tracks access patterns and automatically promotes/demotes vectors between tiers. Your hot data stays fast; your cold data shrinks. ## Use Cases