arXiv:2511.13057cs.IRcs.AI2025-11

对比降维与量化,找到高效向量检索的最优压缩方案。

Dimension vs. Precision: A Comparative Analysis of Autoencoders and Quantization for Efficient Vector Retrieval on BEIR SciFact

  • 用自编码器降维和量化降低向量精度,对比压缩效果。
  • int8量化实现4倍压缩,nDCG@10仅损失1-2%。
  • 二值化不适用,自编码器压缩后性能下降更明显。

密集检索模型已成为先进信息检索的标准。然而,其高维、高精度(float32)的向量嵌入在真实部署中带来显著的存储与内存挑战。为解决此问题,我们在BEIR SciFact基准上开展严谨的实证研究,评估两种主要压缩策略的权衡:(1) 通过深度自编码器(AE)进行维度缩减,将原始384维向量压缩至12至384维的潜在空间;(2) 通过量化(float16、int8、二值化)降低精度。我们系统比较了每种方法在不同压缩比下相对于float32基线的性能变化,涵盖NDCG、MAP、MRR、召回率、精确率等完整检索指标。结果表明,int8标量量化提供最佳平衡,实现4倍压缩且nDCG@10仅下降约1-2%。相比之下,自编码器在同等4倍压缩比下(如AE-96)表现出更明显的性能损失。二值化则导致灾难性性能下降。本工作为高效、高性能检索系统的部署提供了实用指导。

原文摘要 · Abstract (English)

Dense retrieval models have become a standard for state-of-the-art information retrieval. However, their high-dimensional, high-precision (float32) vector embeddings create significant storage and memory challenges for real-world deployment. To address this, we conduct a rigorous empirical study on the BEIR SciFact benchmark, evaluating the trade-offs between two primary compression strategies: (1) Dimensionality Reduction via deep Autoencoders (AE), reducing original 384-dim vectors to latent spaces from 384 down to 12, and (2) Precision Reduction via Quantization (float16, int8, and binary). We systematically compare each method by measuring the "performance loss" (or gain) relative to a float32 baseline across a full suite of retrieval metrics (NDCG, MAP, MRR, Recall, Precision) at various k cutoffs. Our results show that int8 scalar quantization provides the most effective "sweet spot," achieving a 4x compression with a negligible [~1-2%] drop in nDCG@10. In contrast, Autoencoders show a graceful degradation but suffer a more significant performance loss at equivalent 4x compression ratios (AE-96). binary quantization was found to be unsuitable for this task due to catastrophic performance drops. This work provides a practical guide for deploying efficient, high-performance retrieval systems.

向量检索量化自编码器压缩

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