What is the worst-case time complexity for searching in a hash table with chaini
Practice Questions
Q1
What is the worst-case time complexity for searching in a hash table with chaining?
O(1)
O(log n)
O(n)
O(n log n)
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
What is the worst-case time complexity for searching in a hash table with chaining?
Step 1: Understand what a hash table is. A hash table is a data structure that uses a hash function to map keys to indices in an array.
Step 2: Learn about chaining. Chaining is a method used in hash tables to handle collisions, which occur when two keys hash to the same index. In chaining, each index in the array points to a list (or chain) of entries that hash to that index.
Step 3: Consider the worst-case scenario. The worst-case scenario happens when all keys hash to the same index, meaning all entries are stored in one chain.
Step 4: Analyze the search operation. To find a key in the hash table, you would need to search through the entire chain at that index.
Step 5: Determine the time complexity. If there are 'n' keys in the hash table and they all hash to the same index, you would have to check 'n' entries in the chain, resulting in a time complexity of O(n).
