Discover how databases and apps find information in constant time, no matter how much data exists
Part of Search & Sort Algorithms
Educational content slides
The magic formula:
storage_location = hash_function(key)
Username "alice_2024" → hash function → memory address 4,829
Every time you look up "alice_2024", the calculation produces 4,829. Go directly there. No searching needed.
1 item or 1 billion items? Same speed.
Test your understanding with this quiz.
A website has 50 million user accounts. Using a hash table on usernames, how does the lookup speed compare between finding the 1st user vs. the 50 millionth user?
Complete this exercise and get AI-powered feedback.
Hash tables trade memory for speed, providing constant-time lookups regardless of data size.
Think about: Apps, databases, caching, or any situation where you need to find specific items quickly.