Vector Symbolic Architecture Lookup via P-Component Similarity Search

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Solution Overview

Problem

The sheer size of data and vector space in hyperdimensional computing, combined with the 'curse of dimensionality', poses challenges for efficient similarity searches in Vector Symbolic Architectures (VSAs), making existing techniques like locality sensitive hashing and product quantization inefficient.

Innovation Solution

A method involving encoding data points with high-dimensional vectors P and H, processing them through VSA operations in sub-routines to generate intermediate and final results, and conducting a similarity search only on the P vector components, bypassing the larger H vector components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If brute force approach is used for similarity search in VSA, then search completeness is improved, but computational efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesearch completenessVSAvoidcomputational efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the high-dimensional vector space into multiple lower-dimensional subspaces or clusters. Instead of performing brute force search across the entire space, the search is divided into multiple smaller search problems in each subspace, significantly reducing computational complexity while maintaining search completeness through aggregation of results from all subspaces.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transforms the search problem from the original high-dimensional space into a different dimensional representation or projected space where similarity searches can be performed more efficiently. This dimensionality change allows the system to maintain search accuracy while reducing the computational burden of comparing all vector pairs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Adaptability or versatility

If high-dimensional vectors are used in VSA, then representation capacity is improved, but search efficiency deteriorates due to curse of dimensionality

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverepresentation capacityVSAvoidsearch efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the high-dimensional vector representation into multiple segments or components, each handling different aspects of the data. This segmentation allows the system to maintain the representational power of high-dimensional vectors while reducing search complexity by operating on smaller vector segments independently and combining results.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs dimensionality reduction techniques or projects high-dimensional vectors into lower-dimensional spaces for search operations, then maps results back to the original high-dimensional space. This approach preserves the representational capacity needed for complex data while enabling efficient similarity searches in the reduced dimensional space.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Productivity

If existing techniques like locality sensitive hashing are applied, then search speed is improved, but applicability to VSA deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesearch speedVSAvoidapplicability to VSA
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent modifies and adapts existing hashing and quantization techniques by changing their parameters and operations to be compatible with VSA's specific vector operations and properties. This includes adapting hash functions to work with high-dimensional vectors and modifying quantization schemes to preserve similarity relationships in the VSA context, thereby enabling fast searches while maintaining VSA applicability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20250258826A1Efficient look-up for vector symbolic architectures (VSA)
Publication Date: 2025.08.14 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION
  • US20250258826A1 patent drawing
  • US20250258826A1 patent drawing
  • US20250258826A1 patent drawing

AI summary

A method for hyperdimensional computing to obtain an answer to a query includes encoding each of an N number of data points related to the query with a first high dimensional vector P and a second high dimensional vector H to generate an encoded N number of data points having a P vector component and an H vector component, processing the encoded N number of data points via a first sub-routine to generate an intermediate result, wherein the first sub-routine is responsive to Vector Symbolic Architecture (VSA) operations, processing the intermediate result via a second sub-routine to generate a final result, wherein the second sub-routine is responsive to Vector Symbolic Architecture (VSA) operations and conducting a similarity search of the P vector component of the final result to generate an answer to the query.