Tune HNSW

About this course

Tune HNSW is an intermediate-level course designed for machine learning practitioners and AI engineers looking to master the art of vector search optimization. In modern AI applications, finding the right balance between search accuracy (recall) and speed (latency) is critical, but traditional methods often fall short. This course provides a focused, hands-on deep dive into the Hierarchical Navigable Small World (HNSW) algorithm, empowering you to build and tune high-performance vector indices. To get the most out of this course, you should have a foundational understanding of key concepts. Prerequisites include familiarity with vector embeddings and basic Python programming. Prior experience with machine learning concepts is also helpful, as it will provide the context needed to master the practical trade-offs of performance tuning. You will move from theory to practice, learning how to strategically manipulate the core HNSW parameters—efConstruction, M, and efSearch—to meet specific project requirements. Through expert-led videos, practical readings, and a code-along lab, you'll learn to build an HNSW index from scratch. You will then systematically analyze the performance trade-offs by charting a precision-latency curve. The course culminates in a final project where you'll justify your tuning decisions for a simulated real-world scenario, creating a portfolio-ready demonstration of your ability to optimize vector search for applications ranging from low-latency chatbots to high-recall visual search engines.