HASHING

REVIEW OF SEARCHING TECHNIQUES

Recall the efficiency of searching techniques covered

earlier.

 The sequential search algorithm takes time

proportional to the data size, i.e, O(n).

 Binary search improves on liner search reducing

the search time to O(log n).

 With a BST, an O(log n) search efficiency can be

obtained; but the worst-case complexity is O(n).

 To guarantee the O(log n) search time, BST height

balancing is required.
REVIEW OF SEARCHING TECHNIQUES

 Can we do better than that? Is it

possible to design a search of
O(1) – that is, one that has a
constant search time, no matter
where the element is in the list
HASHING
 is used to order and access
elements in a list quickly -- the
goal is O(1) time -- by using a
function of the key value to
identify its location in the list.

 The function of the key value is

called a hash function.

4
USING A HASH FUNCTION

values
[0] 0000
HandyParts company
makes no more than 100
[1] 0001 different parts. But the
[2] parts all have four digit
0002
numbers which ranges
[3] 0
0003 from 0000 to 0100.
[4]
0004
8
We can directly access any
.
.
part record through the
. 10 array index.
.
.
. i.e. there is one-to-one
correspondence between
[ 97] 0097
Part number & index
[ 98] 0098

[ 99] 0099
5
USING A HASH FUNCTION

values
[0] Empty Now if another company makes no
[1] 4501
more than 100 different parts. But
the parts all have four digit
[2] Empty numbers with no
[3] restriction on range .
8903
7803
What to do?
[4]
Empty
.
.8
This hash function can be used to
. store and retrieve parts in an array.
.
. 10
.
Hash(key) = partNum % 100
[ 97] Empty

[ 98] 2298

[ 99] 3699
6
PLACING ELEMENTS IN THE ARRAY

values
[0] Empty
5500 Use the hash function

[1] 4501 Hash(key) = partNum % 100

[2] Empty
to place the element with
[3] 8903
7803
[4]
part number 5500 in the
Empty
.
.8
array.
.
.
.
.10
Hash(key) = 5500 % 100 =0
[ 97] Empty

[ 98] 2298

[ 99] 3699
7
PLACING ELEMENTS IN THE ARRAY

values
[0] 5500
Use the hash function

[1] 4501 Hash(key) = partNum % 100

[2] Empty
to place the element with
[3] 8903
7803
[4]
part number 5502 in the
Empty
.
.8
array.
.
.
.
.10

[ 97] Empty

[ 98] 2298

[ 99] 3699
8
PLACING ELEMENTS IN THE ARRAY

values
[0] 5500
Use the hash function

[1] 4501 Hash(key) = partNum % 100

[2] Empty
to place the element with
[3] 8903
7803
[4]
part number 5502 in the
Empty
.
.8
array.
.
.
.
.10

[ 97] Empty

[ 98] 2298

[ 99] 3699
9
PLACING ELEMENTS IN THE ARRAY

values
[0] 5500
Next place part number
6702 in the array.
[1] 4501

[2] Hash(key) = partNum % 100

5502

[3]
7803 6702 % 100 = 2
[4]
Empty But values[2] is already
.
.
occupied.
.
.
.
. COLLISION OCCURS
[ 97] Empty
The condition resulting when
[ 98] 2298
two or more keys produce
[ 99] 3699 the same hash location
10
HOW TO RESOLVE THE COLLISION?

values
[0] 5500
One way is by linear probing.
This uses the rehash function
[1] 4501

[2] (HashValue + 1) % 100

5502

[3]
7803 repeatedly until an empty location
[4]
is found for part number 6702.
Empty
.
.
.
.
.
. Linear Probing: Resolving a hash
collision by sequentially searching a
[ 97] Empty
hash table beginning at the location
[ 98] 2298 returned by the has function.

[ 99] 3699
11
RESOLVING THE COLLISION

values
[0] 5500
Still looking for a place for 6702
using the function
[1] 4501

[2] (HashValue + 1) % 100

5502

[3]
7803
[4]
(6702 + 1) % 100 = 3
Empty
.
.
.
.
.
.

[ 97] Empty

[ 98] 2298

[ 99] 3699
12
COLLISION RESOLVED

values
[0] 5500
Part 6702 can be placed at
the location with index 4.
[1] 4501

[2] (6702 + 2) % 100 = 4

5502

[3]
7803
[4]
Empty
.
.
.
.
.
.

[ 97] Empty

[ 98] 2298

[ 99] 3699
13
COLLISION RESOLVED

values
[0] 5500
Part 6702 is placed at
the location with index 4.
[1] 4501

[2] 5502
Where would the part with
[3] 7803 number 4598 be placed using
[4] 6702
linear probing?

Empty
[5]
. .
. . 4598 will be stored at index 5
. . /*treating list as circular*/
[ 97] Empty

[ 98] 2298

[ 99] 3699
14
BUCKETS & CHAINING
 Another alternative for handling
collisions is to allow multiple element
keys to hash to the same location.

 Bucket
 A collection of elements associated with a
particular hash location
BUCKETS & CHAINING
 Suppose we have a bucket of size 3. so 3
elements can share the location.
[00 Empty Empty Insert 5462
Empty
5460
] 5462%100 = 2
[01 14001 72101 Empty
Insert 5460
]
5460%100 = 0
[02 9872 5462
Empty Empty
9462
] Insert 9462
. . . . 9462%100 = 2
. . . . Insert 71462
. . . . 71462%100 = 2

[99 19899 2399 199

] Where to insert?
CHAINING
 A linked list of elements that share the same hash
location

0 ...

1
...
2

D-1 ...
HASH TABLES
 There are two types of Hash Tables: Open-addressed Hash Tables and Separate-
Chained Hash Tables.

 An Open-addressed Hash Table is a one-dimensional array indexed by

integer values that are computed by an index function called a hash function.

 A Separate-Chained Hash Table is a one-dimensional array of linked lists indexed

by integer values that are computed by an index function called a hash function.

 Hash tables are sometimes referred to as scatter tables..\

 Typical hash table operations are:

· Insertion.
· Searching
· Deletion.
 TYPES OF HASHING
 There are two types of hashing :
1. Static hashing: In static hashing, the hash function maps
search-key values to a fixed set of locations.

2. Dynamic hashing: In dynamic hashing a hash table can grow to

handle more items. The associated hash function must
change as the table grows.

 The load factor of a hash table is the ratio of the number of keys in the table
to the size of the hash table.

 Note: The higher the load factor, the slower the retrieval.

 With open addressing, the load factor cannot exceed 1. With

chaining, the load factor often exceeds 1.
 HASH FUNCTIONS (CONT’D)
 A good hash function should:

· Minimize collisions.

· Be easy and quick to compute.

· Distribute key values evenly in the hash

table.

· Use all the information provided in the key.

 COMMON HASHING FUNCTIONS
1. Division Remainder (using the table size as the
divisor)

 Computes hash value from key using the %

operator.

 Prime numbers are better table size values.

COMMON HASHING FUNCTIONS (CONT’D)
2. Truncation or Digit/Character Extraction

 Works based on the distribution of digits or characters in the key.

 More evenly distributed digit positions are extracted and used for
hashing purposes.

 For instance, students IDs or ISBN codes may contain common

subsequences which may increase the likelihood of collision.

 Very fast but digits/characters distribution in keys may not be very

even.
COMMON HASHING FUNCTIONS (CONT’D)
3. Folding

 It involves splitting keys into two or more parts and then combining the
parts to form the hash addresses.

 To map the key 25936715 to a range between 0 and 9999, we can:

· split the number into two as 2593 and 6715 and
· add these two to obtain 9308 as the hash value.

 Very useful if we have keys that are very large.

 Fast and simple especially with bit patterns.

 A great advantage is ability to transform non-integer keys into integer

COMMON HASHING FUNCTIONS (CONT’D)
4. Radix Conversion

 Transforms a key into another number base to obtain the hash value.

 Typically use number base other than base 10 and base 2 to calculate
the hash addresses.

 To map the key 55354 in the range 0 to 9999 using base 11 we have:

5535410 = 3865211

 We may truncate the high-order 3 to yield 8652 as our hash address

within 0 to 9999.
COMMON HASHING FUNCTIONS (CONT’D)
5. Mid-Square

 The key is squared and the middle part of the result taken as the
hash value.

 To map the key 3121 into a hash table of size 1000, we square it
31212 = 9740641 and extract 406 as the hash value.

 Works well if the keys do not contain a lot of leading or trailing

zeros.

 Non-integer keys have to be preprocessed to obtain corresponding

integer values.
 SOME APPLICATIONS OF HASH TABLES
 Database systems: Specifically, those that require efficient random access. Generally,
database systems try to optimize between two types of access methods: sequential and
random. Hash tables are an important part of efficient random access because they
provide a way to locate data in a constant amount of time.

 Symbol tables: The tables used by compilers to maintain information about symbols
from a program. Compilers access information about symbols frequently. Therefore, it
is important that symbol tables be implemented very efficiently.

 Data dictionaries: Data structures that support adding, deleting, and searching for
data. Although the operations of a hash table and a data dictionary are similar, other
data structures may be used to implement data dictionaries. Using a hash table is
particularly efficient.

 Network processing algorithms: Hash tables are fundamental components of several

network processing algorithms and applications, including route lookup, packet
classification, and network monitoring.

 Browser Cashes: Hash tables are used to implement browser cashes.