Context Type 3-4: Knowledge and Memory
~12 min read
The next 2 of the book's 6 context types: Knowledge (domain facts and processes) and Memory (continuity across sessions, split into short-term and long-term).
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Key points
- •Context Type 3, Knowledge, feeds domain information (business processes, APIs, data models, workflows) — bridging text prediction and real decision-making
- •RAG is one common mechanism for populating Knowledge context, but Knowledge is the broader category, not synonymous with RAG
- •Context Type 4, Memory, gives an agent continuity across sessions, split into short-term (current reasoning/chat history) and long-term (facts, company knowledge, user preferences)
- •Short-term memory typically lives directly in the context window and disappears after the session; long-term memory is stored externally and retrieved when relevant
- •Knowledge is general and the same for every user; Memory is specific to the ongoing relationship/session with a particular user