Architecture

Understanding RA-H's AI system

Overview

RA-H uses a streamlined AI architecture with two chat modes that share the same tool set but differ in model and capabilities. The system is built around three core concepts:

  • Nodes - Your knowledge items (papers, ideas, people, projects)
  • Edges - How things connect with explanations
  • Dimensions - Flexible tags that emerge from your content

Core Elements

The three core elements: NODES (atomic units), EDGES (connections), DIMENSIONS (tags)

Nodes

Knowledge items stored in the database. Each node can be a paper, idea, person, project, video, tweet, or any other piece of information. Nodes have:

  • Title and notes (your thoughts)
  • Description (AI-generated grounding)
  • Dimensions (multi-tag categorization)
  • Metadata (structured information)
  • Embeddings (for semantic search)
  • Links (to external sources)
  • Chunk (full source content)

Edges

Directed relationships between nodes. Edges capture how your knowledge connects with explanations - not just simple links, but contextual relationships like "this paper inspired this idea."

Dimensions

Multi-select categorization tags. Unlike rigid folders, nodes can have multiple dimensions. Some dimensions can be "locked" for auto-assignment during ingestion.

Chat Modes

RA-H uses two chat modes, each optimized for different tasks.

Normal Mode (⚡)

  • Model: GPT-5 Mini
  • Purpose: Fast responses for everyday tasks
  • Best for: Quick searches, simple node creation, fast lookups

Agent Mode (🔥)

  • Model: Claude Opus 4.5
  • Purpose: Deep reasoning with persistent memory
  • Max steps: 25 autonomous tool calls
  • Memory: Persists across sessions
  • Approval: Write operations require confirmation

Unique capabilities:

  • Persistent memory file for cross-session context
  • Tool approval gates for safety
  • Extended reasoning for complex analysis

Mode Switching

Toggle between modes in the Chat panel. Your choice persists across sessions. Context is maintained when switching mid-conversation.

Tool Approval (Agent Mode)

When Agent mode attempts a write operation:

  1. Approval modal appears showing the action
  2. Options: Approve, Reject, or Trust Session
  3. Auto-reject after 120 seconds

This prevents accidental modifications while enabling autonomous operation.

Context Management

RA-H maintains clean context boundaries:

  • Auto-context — Top 10 most-connected nodes included automatically
  • Focused node — Current working node with content preview
  • Agent memory — (Agent mode only) Persistent file for cross-session context

This architecture ensures fast responses while maintaining the flexibility to handle complex, multi-step tasks.