Module 3

Sparse vs Dense vs Hybrid Search

Understand dense versus sparse retrieval, their strengths, and how a hybrid approach can combine them.

Follow-along code: Module 3 notebook

Overview

Module 2 showed you where your data lives and how Qdrant retrieves it. In this module, you’ll learn what that retrieval misses and how to cover the gap. You’ll explore dense and sparse vectors, BM25, and the inverted index, then see why a product code defeats either one alone. You’ll also learn how fusion merges two ranked lists, and where a filter belongs so both retrievers respect it. By the end, you’ll have built a hybrid collection, run a fused query, and filtered it correctly.

Today’s Path

1. Where We Left Off
2. The Two Families of Search
3. Hybrid Search: Dense and Sparse
4. Setting Up Hybrid Search in Qdrant
5. Fusion Strategies
6. Filtering: Works with Any Retrieval Method
7. Knowledge Check
8. References and Further Reading