approximate

Definition

Deliberately settling for a close-enough answer because the exact computation is too expensive — approximate nearest neighbour search, approximate inference, approximate attention. The interesting question is always what guarantee comes with it: a bounded error with a tunable knob is a very different proposition from a heuristic that usually works. Approximation is the standard escape hatch when exact methods scale badly.

Explainers using this term

• Build Your Own Vector DB — From Brute Force to HNSWEfficient and robust approximate nearest neighbor search using Hierarchical Navigable Small World graphs
• Hashing and Nearest-Neighbor Search — The Groundwork Under Vector SearchEfficient and robust approximate nearest neighbor search using Hierarchical Navigable Small World graphs
• Graph Algorithms from Scratch — Shortest Paths and Where They LeadEfficient and robust approximate nearest neighbor search using Hierarchical Navigable Small World graphs