Hashing Questions
The main difference between chaining and open addressing is the way collisions are handled in hash tables.
In chaining, collisions are resolved by creating a linked list at each hash table index. When a collision occurs, the new element is simply added to the linked list at that index. This means that multiple elements can be stored at the same index, and searching for an element involves traversing the linked list starting from that index.
On the other hand, open addressing resolves collisions by finding an alternative location within the hash table to store the colliding element. When a collision occurs, the algorithm probes the table by examining the next available index until it finds an empty slot. This means that all elements are stored directly in the hash table, and searching for an element involves examining the subsequent indices until the desired element is found or an empty slot is encountered.
In summary, chaining uses linked lists to handle collisions, allowing multiple elements to be stored at the same index, while open addressing finds alternative locations within the hash table to store colliding elements, ensuring that all elements are stored directly in the table.