Question 1

How are hash tables used for caching?

Accepted Answer

Hash tables are ideal for caching because they provide O(1) average time complexity for lookups, insertions, and deletions. In a cache, you can store the resource identifier as the key and the resource itself as the value, allowing for very fast retrieval.

Question 2

Describe an application of hash tables in database indexing.

Accepted Answer

In database indexing, hash tables can be used to create hash indexes. A hash index maps a key (e.g., a column value) to the disk block address where the corresponding record is stored. This allows for very fast lookups of records based on the indexed key, significantly speeding up query performance.

Hash Table Applications Interview Questions

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