What is the average time complexity of inserting an element into a hash table?
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the average time complexity of inserting an element into a hash table?
O(1)
O(n)
O(log n)
O(n log n)
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the average time complexity of inserting an element into a hash table?
Step 1: Understand what a hash table is. A hash table is a data structure that stores key-value pairs and allows for fast data retrieval.
Step 2: Know that when you insert an element into a hash table, you use a hash function to determine where to place the element.
Step 3: Realize that the hash function computes an index based on the key of the element being inserted.
Step 4: Understand that if there are no collisions (when two keys hash to the same index), the insertion takes a constant amount of time.
Step 5: Recognize that even if there are collisions, hash tables are designed to handle them efficiently, often still allowing for average constant time insertion.
Step 6: Conclude that because of these factors, the average time complexity for inserting an element into a hash table is O(1).
