mlsanityData to 7 Oct 2026

HippoRAG: Neurobiologically Inspired Long-Term Memory for Large Language Models

arXiv 2405.14831 ↗First posted 23 May 2024cs.CL cs.AIcited by 273

On the map: Retrieval-augmented generation → Generation and context integration

Abstract (arXiv)

In order to thrive in hostile and ever-changing natural environments, mammalian brains evolved to store large amounts of knowledge about the world and continually integrate new information while avoiding catastrophic forgetting. Despite the impressive accomplishments, large language models (LLMs), even with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), still struggle to efficiently and effectively integrate a large amount of new experiences after pre-training. In this work, we introduce HippoRAG, a novel retrieval framework inspired by the hippocampal indexing theory of human long-term memory to enable deeper and more efficient knowledge integration over new experiences. HippoRAG synergistically orchestrates LLMs, knowledge graphs, and the Personalized PageRank algorithm to mimic the different roles of neocortex and hippocampus in human memory. We compare HippoRAG with existing RAG methods on multi-hop question answering and show that our method outperforms the state-of-the-art methods remarkably, by up to 20%. Single-step retrieval with HippoRAG achieves comparable or better performance than iterative retrieval like IRCoT while being 10-30 times cheaper and 6-13 times faster, and integrating HippoRAG into IRCoT brings further substantial gains. Finally, we show that our method can tackle new types of scenarios that are out of reach of existing methods. Code and data are available at https://github.com/OSU-NLP-Group/HippoRAG.

Key facts. Cited by 273 papers in the map (data through 7 Oct 2026). Placed in Generation and context integration, one of 15 directions in Retrieval-augmented generation. Builds on 78 of its 97 references that are in the map. First posted on arXiv 23 May 2024.

Builds on

78 of 97 references.

Closest ancestors · 5

Same direction, newest first

  1. 2023Active Retrieval Augmented Generation11 May
  2. 2023In-Context Retrieval-Augmented Language Models31 Jan
  3. 2023REPLUG: Retrieval-Augmented Black-Box Language Models30 Jan
  4. 2022Atlas: Few-shot Learning with Retrieval Augmented Language Models5 Aug
  5. 2020Retrieval-Augmented Generation for Knowledge-Intensive NLP Tasks22 May

Other references · 73

  1. 2019PyTorch: An Imperative Style, High-Performance Deep Learning Librarycited by 20,160
  2. 2022Chain-of-Thought Prompting Elicits Reasoning in Large Language Modelscited by 12,302
  3. 2022ReAct: Synergizing Reasoning and Acting in Language Modelscited by 8,355
  4. 2023Efficient Memory Management for Large Language Model Serving with PagedAttentioncited by 5,767
  5. 2022Self-Consistency Improves Chain of Thought Reasoning in Language Modelscited by 5,601
  6. 2018HotpotQA: A Dataset for Diverse, Explainable Multi-hop Question Answeringcited by 3,686
  7. 2024Gemini 1.5: Unlocking multimodal understanding across millions of tokens of contextcited by 3,175
  8. 2022Locating and Editing Factual Associations in GPTcited by 2,609
  9. 2019HuggingFace's Transformers: State-of-the-art Natural Language Processingcited by 2,201
  10. 2019Language Models as Knowledge Bases?cited by 1,922
  11. 2024From Local to Global: A Graph RAG Approach to Query-Focused Summarizationcited by 1,411
  12. 2020Constructing A Multi-hop QA Dataset for Comprehensive Evaluation of Reasoning Stepscited by 1,259
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  1. 2021Unsupervised Dense Information Retrieval with Contrastive Learningcited by 1,203
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  3. 2022Interleaving Retrieval with Chain-of-Thought Reasoning for Knowledge-Intensive Multi-Step Questionscited by 911
  4. 2021MuSiQue: Multihop Questions via Single-hop Question Compositioncited by 893
  5. 2023Unifying Large Language Models and Knowledge Graphs: A Roadmapcited by 663
  6. 2021Editing Factual Knowledge in Language Modelscited by 548
  7. 2024RAPTOR: Recursive Abstractive Processing for Tree-Organized Retrievalcited by 519
  8. 2023Dissecting Recall of Factual Associations in Auto-Regressive Language Modelscited by 512
  9. 2021Fast Model Editing at Scalecited by 491
  10. 2021ColBERTv2: Effective and Efficient Retrieval via Lightweight Late Interactioncited by 464
  11. 2021Large Dual Encoders Are Generalizable Retrieverscited by 454
  12. 2019COMET: Commonsense Transformers for Automatic Knowledge Graph Constructioncited by 450
  13. 2022Memory-Based Model Editing at Scalecited by 443
  14. 2024∞Bench: Extending Long Context Evaluation Beyond 100K Tokenscited by 360
  15. 2023Enhancing Retrieval-Augmented Large Language Models with Iterative Retrieval-Generation Synergycited by 343
  16. 2023StructGPT: A General Framework for Large Language Model to Reason over Structured Datacited by 339
  17. 2023Adaptive Chameleon or Stubborn Sloth: Revealing the Behavior of Large Language Models in Knowledge Conflictscited by 333
  18. 2023Reasoning on Graphs: Faithful and Interpretable Large Language Model Reasoningcited by 326
  19. 2023Language Models Represent Space and Timecited by 306
  20. 2024LongRoPE: Extending LLM Context Window Beyond 2 Million Tokenscited by 302
  21. 2022A Survey of Machine Unlearningcited by 298
  22. 2022Generate rather than Retrieve: Large Language Models are Strong Context Generatorscited by 296
  23. 2023MQuAKE: Assessing Knowledge Editing in Language Models via Multi-Hop Questionscited by 292
  24. 2021Symbolic Knowledge Distillation: from General Language Models to Commonsense Modelscited by 270
  25. 2023LongLoRA: Efficient Fine-tuning of Long-Context Large Language Modelscited by 243
  26. 2024Data Engineering for Scaling Language Models to 128K Contextcited by 183
  27. 2020Answering Complex Open-Domain Questions with Multi-Hop Dense Retrievalcited by 160
  28. 2024A Comprehensive Study of Knowledge Editing for Large Language Modelscited by 157
  29. 2022A Review on Language Models as Knowledge Basescited by 156
  30. 2022Deep Bidirectional Language-Knowledge Graph Pretrainingcited by 156
  31. 2019Learning to Retrieve Reasoning Paths over Wikipedia Graph for Question Answeringcited by 147
  32. 2023Walking Down the Memory Maze: Beyond Context Limit through Interactive Readingcited by 129
  33. 2024MEMORYLLM: Towards Self-Updatable Large Language Modelscited by 89
  34. 2023Dense X Retrieval: What Retrieval Granularity Should We Use?cited by 88
  35. 2023Answering Questions by Meta-Reasoning over Multiple Chains of Thoughtcited by 87
  36. 2019Hierarchical Graph Network for Multi-hop Question Answeringcited by 83
  37. 2024Can Large Language Models Reason and Plan?cited by 82
  38. 2023Boosting Language Models Reasoning with Chain-of-Knowledge Promptingcited by 77

50 most cited of 73 All 73 (JSON)

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Cited by year (2026 to 7 Oct)

Citing papers per year: 2024: 19; 2025: 85; 2026: 169.

273 papers.

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  1. 2024LongMemEval: Benchmarking Chat Assistants on Long-Term Interactive Memorycited by 656
  2. 2024Graph Retrieval-Augmented Generation: A Surveycited by 320
  3. 2025MemOS: A Memory OS for AI Systemcited by 129
  4. 2024AriGraph: Learning Knowledge Graph World Models with Episodic Memory for LLM Agentscited by 100
  5. 2025A Survey of Graph Retrieval-Augmented Generation for Customized Large Language Modelscited by 85
  6. 2025VideoRAG: Retrieval-Augmented Generation with Extreme Long-Context Videoscited by 76
  7. 2025MemOS: An Operating System for Memory-Augmented Generation (MAG) in Large Language Modelscited by 68
  8. 2024KAG: Boosting LLMs in Professional Domains via Knowledge Augmented Generationcited by 67
  9. 2024Inference Scaling for Long-Context Retrieval Augmented Generationcited by 65
  10. 2025Collaborative Memory: Multi-User Memory Sharing in LLM Agents with Dynamic Access Controlcited by 56
  11. 2026Graph-of-Skills: Dependency-Aware Structural Retrieval for Massive Agent Skillscited by 53
  12. 2025M+: Extending MemoryLLM with Scalable Long-Term Memorycited by 51
38 more
  1. 2025When to use Graphs in RAG: A Comprehensive Analysis for Graph Retrieval-Augmented Generationcited by 46
  2. 2026Skill-Pro: Learning Reusable Skills from Experience via Non-Parametric PPO for LLM Agentscited by 44
  3. 2025GFM-RAG: Graph Foundation Model for Retrieval Augmented Generationcited by 40
  4. 2025Position: Episodic Memory is the Missing Piece for Long-Term LLM Agentscited by 35
  5. 2026Toward Ultra-Long-Horizon Agentic Science: Cognitive Accumulation for Machine Learning Engineeringcited by 26
  6. 2025WikiBigEdit: Understanding the Limits of Lifelong Knowledge Editing in LLMscited by 25
  7. 2025MA-RAG: Multi-Agent Retrieval-Augmented Generation via Collaborative Chain-of-Thought Reasoningcited by 24
  8. 2025GraphRAG-Bench: Challenging Domain-Specific Reasoning for Evaluating Graph Retrieval-Augmented Generationcited by 24
  9. 2024SiReRAG: Indexing Similar and Related Information for Multihop Reasoningcited by 23
  10. 2025Graphs Meet AI Agents: Taxonomy, Progress, and Future Opportunitiescited by 23
  11. 2025CAM: A Constructivist View of Agentic Memory for LLM-Based Reading Comprehensioncited by 23
  12. 2025PropRAG: Guiding Retrieval with Beam Search over Proposition Pathscited by 22
  13. 2024Self-Updatable Large Language Models by Integrating Context into Model Parameterscited by 21
  14. 2025LongRoPE2: Near-Lossless LLM Context Window Scalingcited by 21
  15. 2025Scent of Knowledge: Optimizing Search-Enhanced Reasoning with Information Foragingcited by 20
  16. 2025StoryBench: A Dynamic Benchmark for Evaluating Long-Term Memory with Multi Turnscited by 20
  17. 2025Large language models for artificial general intelligence (AGI): A survey of foundational principles and approachescited by 18
  18. 2025Graph-based Approaches and Functionalities in Retrieval-Augmented Generation: A Comprehensive Surveycited by 18
  19. 2025A Simple Yet Strong Baseline for Long-Term Conversational Memory of LLM Agentscited by 18
  20. 2025Optimizing the Interface Between Knowledge Graphs and LLMs for Complex Reasoningcited by 17
  21. 2025RAS: Retrieval-And-Structuring for Knowledge-Intensive LLM Generationcited by 16
  22. 2025Graph RAG-Tool Fusioncited by 15
  23. 2024Understanding the Interplay between Parametric and Contextual Knowledge for Large Language Modelscited by 14
  24. 2025EraRAG: Efficient and Incremental Retrieval Augmented Generation for Growing Corporacited by 14
  25. 2025RoboMemory: A Brain-inspired Multi-memory Agentic Framework for Interactive Environmental Learning in Physical Embodied Systemscited by 14
  26. 2024Towards LifeSpan Cognitive Systemscited by 13
  27. 2026ReSkill: Reconciling Skill Creation with Policy Optimization in Agentic RLcited by 13
  28. 2024Human-inspired Perspectives: A Survey on AI Long-term Memorycited by 12
  29. 2025ReAgent: Reversible Multi-Agent Reasoning for Knowledge-Enhanced Multi-Hop QAcited by 12
  30. 2025Credible Plan-Driven RAG Method for Multi-Hop Question Answeringcited by 12
  31. 2025GraphRAG-R1: Graph Retrieval-Augmented Generation with Process-Constrained Reinforcement Learningcited by 12
  32. 2026Memex(RL): Scaling Long-Horizon LLM Agents via Indexed Experience Memorycited by 11
  33. 2026VitaBench 2.0: Evaluating Personalized and Proactive Agents in Long-Term User Interactionscited by 11
  34. 2025RAG Meets Temporal Graphs: Time-Sensitive Modeling and Retrieval for Evolving Knowledgecited by 10
  35. 2025Convomem Benchmark: Why Your First 150 Conversations Don't Need RAGcited by 10
  36. 2026E-mem: Multi-agent based Episodic Context Reconstruction for LLM Agent Memorycited by 10
  37. 2025Towards Practical GraphRAG: Efficient Knowledge Graph Construction and Hybrid Retrieval at Scalecited by 9
  38. 2025Memory-Augmented Transformers: A Systematic Review from Neuroscience Principles to Enhanced Model Architecturescited by 9

50 most cited of 273 All 273 (JSON)

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  5. 2026RippleMem: From Isolated Retrieval to Associative Recollection for Long-Term Agent Memory
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  7. 2026MGRetrieval: Memory-Guided Reflective Retrieval for Long-Term Dialogue Agents
  8. 2026HiMeS: Hippocampus-inspired Memory System for Personalized AI Assistants