reading-notes
Hash Tables
Notes
- Hash tables use an array to store the key/value pairs at an index generated by hashing the key
- Hashing the key is to an index is what allows the O(1) time efficiency for accessing a hash table like a Python dictionary
- Collisions, or keys that hash to the same index, can occur and are usually handled by storing all key/value pairs at the same index as a linked list
Lesson
Hashes are the key piece of a hash map/table data structure that allow it to store and access key/value pairs efficiently. In order for the hashing algorithm to work and be efficient it must always produce the same hash when given the same key.
Things I want to know more about
- Other use cases for hashes
- When accessing a value from a bucket with multiple keys is it still O(1) efficiency?