docs(quantization): soften multi-bit RaBitQ cost framing, add cross-version note#284
Merged
Merged
Conversation
…ersion note Multi-bit RaBitQ (num_bits >= 2) reranking now uses dedicated SIMD kernels, so the prior framing that steered users away from num_bits >= 2 on a compute basis is outdated. The real trade-off is storage. - Reframe the num_bits prose and param description around storage cost rather than "higher computational cost". - Add a compatibility warning: multi-bit indexes use an updated on-disk layout that older LanceDB versions cannot read; existing indexes upgrade on rewrite, num_bits=1 is unaffected. - Move the "API Reference" heading below the conceptual prose so it sits directly above the parameter list it introduces. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
prrao87
added
the
needs_new_release
Contributor
|
Preview deployment for your docs. Learn more about Mintlify Previews.
|
This file contains hidden or bidirectional Unicode text that may be interpreted or compiled differently than what appears below. To review, open the file in an editor that reveals hidden Unicode characters.
Learn more about bidirectional Unicode characters
Sign up for free
to join this conversation on GitHub.
Already have an account?
Sign in to comment
1 participant
Add this suggestion to a batch that can be applied as a single commit.This suggestion is invalid because no changes were made to the code.Suggestions cannot be applied while the pull request is closed.Suggestions cannot be applied while viewing a subset of changes.Only one suggestion per line can be applied in a batch.Add this suggestion to a batch that can be applied as a single commit.Applying suggestions on deleted lines is not supported.You must change the existing code in this line in order to create a valid suggestion.Outdated suggestions cannot be applied.This suggestion has been applied or marked resolved.Suggestions cannot be applied from pending reviews.Suggestions cannot be applied on multi-line comments.Suggestions cannot be applied while the pull request is queued to merge.Suggestion cannot be applied right now. Please check back later.
What
Updates the RaBitQ section of the quantization docs in light of lance#7205, which added dedicated SIMD kernels for multi-bit (
num_bits >= 2) RaBitQ ex-code reranking.num_bits >= 2on a "higher computational cost" basis. With the new SIMD rerank kernels, that's outdated — the real trade-off is storage. Reworded both the prose and thenum_bitsparameter description accordingly.num_bits=1is unaffected in both directions.## API Referenceheading below the conceptual prose so it sits directly above the parameter list it introduces (it previously sat above the explanatory text, which read oddly).Why
This is the durable, user-facing residue of the lance perf work — not a "we got faster" announcement (that belongs in release notes), but a correction to framing that would otherwise steer people away from multi-bit on outdated grounds, plus the one piece with real user impact: the version-compatibility break.
Notes
<Warning>rather than the page's usual<Note>deliberately — a breaking-compat item warrants the higher severity styling.🤖 Generated with Claude Code