Reviewing the efficiency of maps and hash maps
Let's review the efficiency of each method by reviewing the Big O notation in terms of time of execution:
| Method | Dictionary | Hash Table | Separate Chaining | Linear Probing |
put(key, value) |
O(1) | O(1) | O(1)* | O(1)* |
get(key) |
O(1) | O(1) | O(1)* | O(1)* |
remove(key) |
O(1) | O(1) | O(1)* | O(1)* |
For the Dictionary class, all operations are generally O(1) in the average case due to direct access to the underlying object using the stringified key.
For the HashMap class, similar to the dictionary, all operations are typically O(1) in the average case, assuming a good hash function. However, it lacks collision handling, so collisions will cause data loss or overwrite existing entries.
For the HashTableSeparateChaining, in the average case, all operations are still O(1). Separate chaining effectively handles collisions, so even with some collisions, the linked lists at each index are likely to remain short. In the worst case (all keys hash to the same...
