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What Are Hash Tables and Why Are They Amazing?
An explanation that doesn’t assume you’re a developer
Hash tables (commonly referred to as hash maps) are simply amazing. They exist in basically every language, just under different names. If you’re not formally educated in computer science, then you may not even realize that you’ve been using them all along.
Here are some implementations of hash tables from popular languages:
- Java HashMaps
- Python dictionaries
- JSON objects
- PHP associative arrays
Hash tables are not reserved just for programming. They’re all around us in the real world too. You can find hash tables in:
- IDs, such as social security numbers and driver’s licenses
- The Dewey Decimal System at your local library
- Phone numbers
To understand why hash tables are so amazing, we’re going to give a non-technical explanation about what they are and then explore the implications of using hash tables.
What Is Hashing?
Before we flesh out what a hash table is, let’s define hashing. According to HackerEarth, “Hashing is a technique that is used to uniquely identify a…
