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

In the context of hash tables, each of the operations—insert, search, and delete—can be performed in constant time, denoted as O(1), under ideal conditions.

When these operations are executed, the hash table uses a hash function to compute an index based on the key. This allows direct access to the location where the value is stored.

For insertion, the key is hashed to find the appropriate index, and the value is placed at that index. Similarly, during a search operation, the key is hashed to locate the corresponding index where the value is stored, enabling rapid access. Lastly, during deletion, the key is hashed to identify the index, allowing for the quick removal of the value.

It is important to note that O(1) performance is based on the assumption of a good hash function that distributes keys uniformly and minimizes collisions. When collisions do occur, the performance may degrade, leading to a worst-case scenario of O(n) for these operations. However, with proper handling techniques like chaining or open addressing, the average time complexity remains O(1) for each of the operations.

Therefore, under optimal conditions, all three operations—insert, search, and delete—are generally considered to have a time complexity