7 Use SQL Functions for Vector Operations

There are a number of SQL functions and operators that you can use with vectors in Oracle AI Vector Search.

Note:

You can also use PL/SQL packages to perform similar operations and additional tasks. See Vector Search PL/SQL Packages.
  • Vector Distance Functions and Operators
    A vector distance function takes in two vector operands and a distance metric to compute a mathematical distance between those two vectors, based on the distance metric provided. You can optionally use shorthand distance functions and operators instead of their corresponding distance functions.
  • Chunking and Vector Generation Functions
    Oracle AI Vector Search offers Vector Utilities, which provide the VECTOR_CHUNKS and VECTOR_EMBEDDING SQL functions for chunking data and generating vector embedding, respectively.
  • Constructors, Converters, Descriptors, and Arithmetic Operators
    Other basic vector operations for Oracle AI Vector Search involve creating, converting, and describing vectors.
  • JSON Compatibility with the VECTOR Data Type
    The JSON data type supports the VECTOR type as a JSON scalar type. A VECTOR instance is convertible to a JSON type instance and vice versa using the JSON constructor and the VECTOR constructor, respectively.