Hash Tables

Dr. Dibakar Saha

Assistant Professor
Department of Computer Applications
National Institute of Technology Raipur
Hash Table - Introduction

❑ Hash table is a generalization of array.

❑With an array, we store the element whose key is k at a position k of the

array.

❑That means, given a key k, we find the element whose key is k by just
looking in the kth position of the array.

This is called direct addressing.

Hash Table- Direct addressing

❑ Direct addressing is applicable when we can afford to allocate an

array with one position for every possible key.

❑ But if we do not have enough space to allocate a location for each

possible key, then we need a mechanism to handle this case.

❑ If we have less locations and more possible keys, then simple array
implementation is not enough.

In these cases one option is to use hash tables.

Hash Table

❑ Hash table or hash map is a data structure that stores the keys and their
associated values.

❑ hash table uses a hash function to map keys to their associated values.

❑ We use a hash table when the number of keys actually stored is small
relative to the number of possible keys.
 Hash Function
❑The hash function is used to transform the key into the index. Ideally, the hash
function should map each possible key to a unique slot index, but it is difficult to
achieve in practice.

❑Given a collection of elements, a hash function that maps each item into a unique
slot is referred to as a perfect hash function.

❑If we know the elements and the collection will never change, then it is possible to
construct a perfect hash function.

❑Unfortunately, given an arbitrary collection of elements, there is no systematic way

to construct a perfect hash function.
Example 0
1
2
3
3 2 9 6 11 13 7 12 4
Key values 5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

Hash table of size M=15

 0

Example
1
2
3

3 2 9 6 11 13 7 12 Key values 4
5
6
7
We can use the key as the index of the Hash Table
8

9
10

11
12
Hash table of size M=15
13

14
 Example 0
1
2 2
3 3
3 2 9 6 11 13 7 12 4
Key values 5
20 6 6
7 7
8
Now the question is if new key value 20 appears. Size 9 9
issue 10
So, what to do? 11 11
12 12
Or same key re-appear then? For example, 6 13 13
14

Already
Occupied Hash table of size M=15
 Hash Function
❑There is no systematic way to construct a perfect hash function.

❑One way to always have a perfect hash function is to increase the size of the hash
table so that each possible value in the element range can be accommodated.

❑This guarantees that each element will have a unique slot.

❑Although this is practical for small numbers of elements, it is not feasible when the
number of possible elements is large.
Characteristics of Good Hash Functions

A good hash function should have the following characteristics:

❑ Minimize collision

❑ Be easy and quick to compute

❑ Distribute key values evenly in the hash table

❑ Use all the information provided in the key

❑ Have a high load factor for a given set of keys

Load Factor

❑ The load factor of a non-empty hash table is the number of items stored in the table divided by the
size of the table.

❑ This is the decision parameter used when we want to rehash or expand the existing hash table entries.

❑ This also helps us in determining the efficiency of the hashing function.

❑ That means, it tells whether the hash function is distributing the keys uniformly or not.

Number of elements in the hash table

Load Factor=
Hash table size
 How to Choose Hash Function?
The basic problems associated with the creation of hash tables are:

• An efficient hash function should be designed so that it distributes the index

values of inserted objects uniformly across the table.

• An efficient collision resolution algorithm should be designed so that it

computes an alternative index for a key whose hash index corresponds to a
location previously inserted in the hash table.

• We must choose a hash function which can be calculated quickly, returns

values within the range of locations in our table, and minimizes collisions.
 Collisions
0
Hash functions are used to map each key to a different address
space, but practically it is not possible to create such a hash 1

function and the problem is called collision. 2

3
Collision is the condition where two records are stored in the 4
same location. 5
6 26
6 26 7
h(k)=k%M h(k)=k%M
h(26)=26%10 8
h(6)=6%10=6
Hash function h(k)=k%M =6 9

Gives the location Hash table (M=10)

Collision Resolution Techniques
The process of finding an alternate location is called collision resolution.
Even though hash tables have collision problems, they are more efficient in many cases compared to all
other data structures, like search trees.

❑ There are a number of collision resolution techniques, and the most popular are direct chaining and
open addressing.

❑ Direct Chaining: An array of linked list application

❑ Separate chaining

❑ Open Addressing: Array-based implementation

❑ Linear probing (linear search)
❑ Quadratic probing (nonlinear search)
❑ Double hashing (use two hash functions)
Types of Hashing

Open Closed
Hashing Hashing

Chaining Linear probing Quadratic Double hashing

probing
Direct Chaining - Separate Chaining

❑ Collision resolution by chaining combines linked representation with hash table.

❑ When two or more records hash to the same location, these records are constituted into a
singly-linked list called a chain.
Chaining Example
3 2 9 6 11 13 7 12 Key values
Hash Function h(ki)=2ki+3
M=10
Key h(ki)=2ki+3 h(ki)%M Location
0
3 2*3+3=9 9%10=9 9
1 9
2 2*2+3=7 7%10=7 7 2
9 2*9+3=21 21%10=1 1 3

6 4
2*6+3=15 15%10=5 5
5 6 11
11 2*11+3=25 25%10=5 5
6
13 2*13+3=29 29%10=5 9
7 2 7 12
7 2*7+3=17 17%10=7 7
8
12 2*12+3=27 27%10=7 7 9 3 13
Open Addressing
In open addressing all keys are stored in the hash table itself. This approach is also known as
closed hashing. This procedure is based on probing.

A collision is resolved by probing.

❑Open Addressing: Array-based implementation
❑Linear probing (linear search)
❑Quadratic probing (nonlinear search)
❑Double hashing (use two hash functions)
Linear Probing
❑The interval between probes is fixed at 1.
❑In linear probing, we search the hash table sequentially, starting from the
original hash location.
❑If a location is occupied, we check the next location.
❑We wrap around from the last table location to the first table location if
necessary.

❑The function for rehashing is the following:

rehash(key) = (n + 1)% M
 Linear Probing
❑ One of the problems with linear probing is that table items tend to cluster together in the
hash table.

❑ This means that the table contains groups of consecutively occupied locations that are
Clusters can get close to one another, and merge into a larger cluster.

❑ Thus, the one part of the table might be quite dense, even though another part has relatively
few items.

❑ Clustering causes long probe searches and therefore decreases the overall efficiency.
 Quadratic Probing
The interval between probes increases proportionally to the hash value (the interval thus increasing linearly, and the
indices are described by a quadratic function).

In quadratic probing, we start from the original hash location i.

If a location is occupied, we check the locations i + 12 , i +22, i + 32, i + 42...

The function for rehashing is the following:

rehash(key) = (n + k2)% M
 Quadratic Probing
Example: Let us assume that the table size is 11 (0..10)

Hash Function: h(key) = key mod 11

31 19 2 13 25 24 21 9
Double Hashing
❑ The interval between probes is computed by another hash function.

❑ Double hashing reduces clustering in a better way.

❑ The increments for the probing sequence are computed by using a second hash function.

❑ The second hash function h2 should be:

h1(key) ≠ 0 and h2 ≠ h1

➢ We first probe the location h1(key).

➢ If the location is occupied, we probe the location

➢ h1(key) + h2(key), h1(key) + 2 * h2(key), ...
 Double Hashing
Table size is M=13 [0,….,12]

Hash Function: h1(key)=key % 13 and

h2(key)=7-(key % 7)
Comparisons: Open Addressing Method
Thank you!