7.

Hashing,
extendible hashing

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What is hashing?

 When you take any type of data and assign an integer value to it.

 Very fast method of searching

 It involves less key comparisons and searching can be performed in a constant time

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Hash Function

 A hash function is used to map data of arbitrary size to data of a fixed size.

 Hash functions are often used in combination with hash tables, a common
data structure used for rapid data lookup.

 Hash functions accelerate table or database lookup by detecting

duplicated records in a large file.

E.g. of a hash function application:

Finding similar stretches in DNA sequences

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Example of hashing

 In the following example, a hash function is used to

map names to integers (from 0 to 15).

 Note that there are two keys assigned for the same
hash value; it is called a “collision”, and it is a hash
conflict.

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Running time complexity of hashing

Operation Time Complexity

Search O(1)

Insertion O(1)

Deletion O(1)

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The hash table

 Also known as hash map, is a data structure that

implements an associative array* abstract data type;
a structure that maps keys to values.

 A hash table uses a hash function to compute an

index into an array of buckets or slots.

E.g.: small phone book as a hash table.

*Associative array: a.k.a. map, symbol table, or dictionary, is an abstract data type composed of a
collection of (key, value) pairs, such that each possible key appears at most once in the collection.
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How to make a good hash function:

 Time complexity O(1)

 Spread the elements evenly in the table.

 No hash conflict.

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Solving hash conflicts:

There are some ways to deal with hash conflicts, mentioned below:

1. Separate chaining (bucket hashing)

2. Linear probing

3. Quadratic probing

4. Double hashing

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Solving hash conflicts:

1. Separate chaining (bucket hashing) (3)

Example:

Before After
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Solving hash conflicts:

2. Linear probing

 When a collision happens because of the insertion of a new key to an already occupied
slot, it searches the table for the closest following free location and inserts the new key
there.
 Lookups are performed in the same way, by searching the table sequentially starting at
the position given by the hash function, until finding a cell with a matching key or an
empty cell.

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Solving hash conflicts:

g it of
i
la st d nt!
Linear probing – Example t the leme
a
ok rted e
lo
H(x)=h(x)+f(i) where f(i)=i, h(x)=xmodsize We e inse
th

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Solving hash conflicts:

3. Quadratic probing

 It operates by taking the original hash index and adding successive values of an arbitrary
quadratic polynomial until an open slot is found.
 It better avoids the clustering problem that can occur with linear probing, although it is
not immune to it.

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Solving hash conflicts:

3. Quadratic probing – Considerations & Example

Hash function: h(x)=X % Table size

h’(x)=[h(x)+f()] % Table size

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Solving hash conflicts:

4. Double hashing

• Double hashing is similar to linear probing and the only difference is the interval between
successive probes. Here, the interval between probes is computed by using 2 Hash
functions.

• The hashed index for an entry record is an index that is computed by one hashing function
and the slot at that index is already occupied. We must traverse in a specific probing
sequence to look for unoccupied slot.

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Solving hash conflicts:

4. Double hashing - Example

When inserting 49 there is collision;

it will be inserted in:
Hash=xmodsize
hash2(x) = R−(x mod R)
hash2(49)= 7-0= 7 49 will be inserted in position
6.
Where:
• “R” = prime smaller than the size of the table
• mod = taking the remainder of dividing two
numbers. In this case: x mod R= 49 mod 7 = 0

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What is rehashing?

 Operation by which we create another hash table twice as big as the original one (using
a new hash function), because the old table gets too full (load factor lambda > 50%).

 Very expensive operation: running time complexity of O(N); since there are N elements
to rehash.

 The size of the new table will be the first prime that is twice as large as the old table
size.

 Summarizing, we can use rehashing when:

 The hash table is half full

 An insert fails

 Lambda (load factor) is greater than a threshold value

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Example

• h(x)= x mode N (size)

• New h(x)= x mode ( 2N 1st prime number)

New h(x) = x mod 17

Previous h(x) = x mod 7.

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The unordered map in STL

• Unordered_map is like a data structure of dictionary type that stores

elements in itself. It contains successive pairs (key, value), which
allows fast retrieval of an individual element based on its unique key.
• Internally unordered_map is implemented using Hash Table, the key
provided to map is hashed into indices of a hash table which is why the
performance of data structure depends on the hash function a lot but
on average, the cost of search, insert, and delete from the hash
table is O(1).
• Implemented by “std::unordered_map”

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Thank you!

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