Vector Databases: A Practical Introduction by Nitin Borwankar

This book is a premium first copy, similar to the original but not the original.

The AI revolution is here, and at its core lies a game-changing technology that most developers haven’t fully explored: vector databases. From powering semantic search to enabling Large Language Models (LLMs) and Generative AI, vector databases are reshaping how we build applications with unstructured data like text, images, and audio. But how do you go from curious to capable with this vital technology? That’s where this book comes in. In this hands-on guide, author Nitin Borwankar takes you through the why, what, and how of vector databases, starting with the basic theory behind vector embeddings and progressing to building applications with real-world tools. You’ll learn about Word2vec, how to convert open source SQL databases like SQLite3 and PostgreSQL into vector databases, and integrate them into retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) applications. Whether you’re a Python developer, data engineer, or ML practitioner, this book gives you the foundation to leverage vector databases confidently in your AI projects. Prerequisites include Python programming proficiency, a basic understanding of databases and SQL, and familiarity with running LLMs locally for the RAG chapters. Readers should also be comfortable with simple mathematical concepts.