Hashing Questions Medium
In Go, the purpose of a hash code is to provide a unique numerical value that represents the content of an object or data. It is primarily used for efficient data retrieval and storage in hash-based data structures like hash tables or hash maps.
The hash code is generated by applying a hash function to the object's data. This function takes the input data and produces a fixed-size output, which is the hash code. The hash function should ideally distribute the hash codes uniformly across the range of possible values to minimize collisions.
The hash code serves as an index or key for storing and retrieving data in hash-based data structures. When an object is inserted into a hash table, its hash code is used to determine the position or bucket where it should be stored. Similarly, when searching for an object, its hash code is used to quickly locate the corresponding bucket and retrieve the desired data.
By using hash codes, the time complexity of operations like insertion, retrieval, and deletion can be significantly reduced compared to other data structures. Hash-based data structures provide constant-time average case complexity for these operations, making them efficient for large datasets.
Additionally, hash codes are also used for other purposes like data integrity checks, cryptographic algorithms, and data partitioning in distributed systems. They provide a compact representation of data that can be used for various applications beyond just data storage and retrieval.