Western Governors University (WGU) ICSC2100 C949 Data Structures and Algorithms I Practice Exam

Chaining is a widely used technique for resolving collisions in hash tables. When multiple keys hash to the same index in a hash table, chaining allows for the storage of all those keys in a linked list or another data structure at that index. This means instead of overwriting the existing value, the new key-value pair can simply be added to the list linked at that index.

The advantage of chaining is that it maintains the average case time complexity of O(1) for insertion, deletion, and search operations, assuming a good hash function and an appropriate load factor. It effectively accommodates varying numbers of entries that might hash to the same index, allowing the hash table to be more flexible and capable of handling collisions without significant performance degradation.

In contrast, sorting, binary search, and recursion do not directly address collision resolution in hash tables. Sorting would rearrange data but not resolve hash collisions, binary search applies to sorted data structures, and recursion is a programming technique, none of which contribute to addressing the fundamental issue of collision in a hash table context.