{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7140220698","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.20286","title":"Rethinking Retrieval-Augmentation as Synthesis: A Query-Aware Context Merging Approach","display_name":"Rethinking Retrieval-Augmentation as Synthesis: A Query-Aware Context Merging Approach","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-03-18","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7140220698","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.20286"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.20286","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.20286","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.20286","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Guo, Jiarui","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Guo, Jiarui","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Xu, Yuemeng","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Xu, Yuemeng","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Lv, Zongwei","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Lv, Zongwei","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Wang, Yangyujia","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Wang, Yangyujia","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Wang, Xiaolin","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Wang, Xiaolin","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Liu, Kan","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Liu, Kan","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Lan, Tao","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Lan, Tao","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Qu, Lin","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Qu, Lin","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":null,"display_name":"Yang, Tong","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Yang, Tong","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":9,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10028","display_name":"Topic Modeling","score":0.3991999924182892,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10028","display_name":"Topic Modeling","score":0.3991999924182892,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10286","display_name":"Information Retrieval and Search Behavior","score":0.20029999315738678,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11714","display_name":"Multimodal Machine Learning Applications","score":0.05550000071525574,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1707","display_name":"Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/bridging","display_name":"Bridging (networking)","score":0.7922999858856201},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/security-token","display_name":"Security token","score":0.6155999898910522},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/redundancy","display_name":"Redundancy (engineering)","score":0.571399986743927},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/relevance","display_name":"Relevance (law)","score":0.4959999918937683},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/context","display_name":"Context (archaeology)","score":0.45260000228881836},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/software-deployment","display_name":"Software deployment","score":0.4244000017642975},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/semantics","display_name":"Semantics (computer science)","score":0.35510000586509705},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/forcing","display_name":"Forcing (mathematics)","score":0.35089999437332153},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/semantic-heterogeneity","display_name":"Semantic heterogeneity","score":0.3077999949455261}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.8184999823570251},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C174348530","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q188635","display_name":"Bridging (networking)","level":2,"score":0.7922999858856201},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C48145219","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1335365","display_name":"Security token","level":2,"score":0.6155999898910522},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C152124472","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1204361","display_name":"Redundancy (engineering)","level":2,"score":0.571399986743927},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C158154518","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7310970","display_name":"Relevance (law)","level":2,"score":0.4959999918937683},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C80444323","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2878974","display_name":"Theoretical computer science","level":1,"score":0.4546000063419342},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779343474","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3109175","display_name":"Context (archaeology)","level":2,"score":0.45260000228881836},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C105339364","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2297740","display_name":"Software deployment","level":2,"score":0.4244000017642975},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.37209999561309814},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C120314980","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q180634","display_name":"Distributed computing","level":1,"score":0.3677000105381012},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C184337299","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1437428","display_name":"Semantics (computer science)","level":2,"score":0.35510000586509705},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C197115733","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1003136","display_name":"Forcing (mathematics)","level":2,"score":0.35089999437332153},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778180026","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18378163","display_name":"Semantic heterogeneity","level":4,"score":0.3077999949455261},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C136886441","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q926129","display_name":"Normalization (sociology)","level":2,"score":0.30320000648498535},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C43521106","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2165493","display_name":"Pipeline (software)","level":2,"score":0.29919999837875366},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C169903001","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3264987","display_name":"Reciprocity (cultural anthropology)","level":2,"score":0.2969000041484833},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C119857082","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2539","display_name":"Machine learning","level":1,"score":0.2930999994277954},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C125411270","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18653","display_name":"Encoding (memory)","level":2,"score":0.2930000126361847},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C124101348","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q172491","display_name":"Data mining","level":1,"score":0.2867000102996826},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C119839945","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6545185","display_name":"Unique identifier","level":3,"score":0.28220000863075256},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C153083717","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6535263","display_name":"Leverage (statistics)","level":2,"score":0.2773999869823456},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C137293760","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3621696","display_name":"Language model","level":2,"score":0.27250000834465027},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C124304363","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q673661","display_name":"Abstraction","level":2,"score":0.27160000801086426},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C8505890","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q605095","display_name":"Budget constraint","level":2,"score":0.2662999927997589},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C113336015","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q574010","display_name":"Complete information","level":2,"score":0.25949999690055847},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776854237","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6031064","display_name":"Information sharing","level":2,"score":0.25540000200271606},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C183322885","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q17007702","display_name":"Context model","level":3,"score":0.25049999356269836}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.20286","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.20286","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.20286","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.20286","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Retrieval-Augmented":[0],"Generation":[1],"(RAG)":[2],"enables":[3],"Large":[4],"Language":[5],"Models":[6],"(LLMs)":[7],"to":[8,116,124,139,151,189],"extend":[9],"their":[10],"existing":[11],"knowledge":[12],"by":[13,24],"dynamically":[14],"incorporating":[15],"external":[16],"information.":[17],"However,":[18],"practical":[19],"deployment":[20],"is":[21,59],"fundamentally":[22],"constrained":[23],"the":[25,50,69,73,79,111],"LLM's":[26],"finite":[27],"context":[28],"window,":[29],"forcing":[30],"a":[31,44,94,106,121,129,161],"trade-off":[32],"between":[33],"information":[34,101,168],"sufficiency":[35],"and":[36,196],"token":[37,80],"consumption.":[38],"Standard":[39],"pipelines":[40],"address":[41],"this":[42,57,88],"via":[43],"retrieve-then-select":[45],"strategy,":[46],"typically":[47],"retaining":[48],"only":[49],"top-k":[51],"chunks":[52],"based":[53],"on":[54,82,176],"relevance.":[55],"Nevertheless,":[56],"approach":[58],"suboptimal:":[60],"it":[61],"inherently":[62],"truncates":[63],"critical":[64],"bridging":[65,142],"evidence":[66],"located":[67],"in":[68,193,199],"long":[70],"tail":[71],"of":[72],"relevance":[74],"distribution,":[75],"while":[76,170],"simultaneously":[77],"wasting":[78],"budget":[81],"semantically":[83],"redundant":[84],"high-ranking":[85],"chunks.":[86],"In":[87],"paper,":[89],"we":[90],"rethink":[91],"retrieval-augmentation":[92],"as":[93],"dynamic":[95],"optimization":[96],"problem":[97],"aimed":[98],"at":[99],"maximizing":[100,171],"density.":[102],"We":[103,158],"propose":[104],"MergeRAG,":[105],"novel":[107],"framework":[108],"that":[109,166,180],"shifts":[110],"paradigm":[112],"from":[113],"static":[114],"filtering":[115],"query-aware":[117],"synthesis.":[118],"MergeRAG":[119,181],"employs":[120],"scoring":[122],"agent":[123],"restructure":[125],"retrieved":[126],"contexts":[127],"through":[128],"dual-pathway":[130],"mechanism:":[131],"1)":[132],"Symmetric":[133],"Merging,":[134,146],"which":[135,147],"consolidates":[136],"weak":[137],"signals":[138],"recover":[140],"lost":[141],"evidence;":[143],"2)":[144],"Asymmetric":[145],"utilizes":[148],"entropy-guided":[149],"anchoring":[150],"eliminate":[152],"redundancy":[153],"without":[154],"sacrificing":[155],"semantic":[156],"integrity.":[157],"further":[159],"introduce":[160],"Hierarchical":[162],"Parallel":[163],"Merging":[164],"strategy":[165],"mitigates":[167],"loss":[169],"computational":[172],"parallelism.":[173],"Extensive":[174],"experiments":[175],"standard":[177],"benchmarks":[178],"demonstrate":[179],"significantly":[182],"outperforms":[183],"state-of-the-art":[184],"RAG":[185],"baselines,":[186],"achieving":[187],"up":[188],"13.7":[190],"points":[191,198],"improvement":[192],"F1":[194],"score":[195],"11.5":[197],"Exact":[200],"Match":[201],"(EM),":[202],"respectively.":[203]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-04-25T08:17:42.794288","created_date":"2026-03-25T00:00:00"}