What is the purpose of a hash code in C#?

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What is the purpose of a hash code in C#?

The purpose of a hash code in C# is to provide a unique numerical value that represents the content of an object. It is primarily used for efficient data retrieval and storage in hash-based data structures such as hash tables or dictionaries. The hash code is generated by applying a hash function to the object's data, which converts the data into a fixed-size integer value. This hash code can then be used as an index or key to quickly locate and access the object in a collection or database. Additionally, hash codes are commonly used in equality comparisons to quickly determine if two objects are likely to be equal, before performing more expensive full equality checks.