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Apply the concept of quadratic probing in hash tables by describing a real-world scenario.

Question

Apply the concept of quadratic probing in hash tables by describing a real-world scenario.

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Solution

Sure! Let's consider a real-world scenario where quadratic probing can be applied in hash tables.

Imagine you are working at a library that has a large collection of books. The library wants to implement a system to efficiently store and retrieve books based on their unique ISBN numbers. To achieve this, they decide to use a hash table.

In this scenario, the hash table will have a fixed size and will be implemented using an array. Each element in the array will represent a slot in the hash table, and each slot can hold one book.

To store a book in the hash table, the library will calculate the hash value of the book's ISBN number. This hash value will determine the initial slot where the book will be placed. However, if that slot is already occupied, quadratic probing will be used to find the next available slot.

Quadratic probing works by incrementing the hash value by a quadratic function of the number of collisions encountered. For example, if the initial hash value is h, and there is a collision at slot h, the next slot to be checked will be h + 1^2. If that slot is also occupied, the next slot to be checked will be h + 2^2, and so on.

This process continues until an empty slot is found, or until the entire hash table has been searched. Once an empty slot is found, the book is placed in that slot.

When retrieving a book from the hash table, the library will again calculate the hash value of the book's ISBN number. If the book is found in the initial slot, it can be retrieved directly. However, if the book is not found in the initial slot, quadratic probing will be used to search for the book in the subsequent slots.

By using quadratic probing in this real-world scenario, the library can efficiently store and retrieve books in the hash table, even in the presence of collisions. This helps to optimize the performance of the library's book management system and ensures that books can be easily located by their ISBN numbers.

This problem has been solved

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