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

A hash function plays a crucial role in a hash table by mapping data (or keys) to a format that can be efficiently stored and retrieved. Its primary purpose is to take an input (or key) and compute a hash code, which is then used to determine the index at which the corresponding value will be stored within the hash table.

Creating unique keys for items ensures that each element can be quickly found without needing to scan through the entire data structure. While it's aimed at minimizing collisions (where two keys hash to the same index), the hash function attempts to map different inputs to different outputs as much as possible, assisting in efficient data retrieval.

While sorting data, providing random access, or computing the load factor are related concepts in the realm of data structures, they do not define the primary function of a hash function. Sorting is typically handled by algorithms designed to organize data, while random access pertains to the ability to access an element directly by its index, relying on the efficiency of the hash function to direct you to that index. The load factor, relating to how full the hash table is, is a metric that can help with resizing the hash table but is not a function of the hash function itself.