Linear Probing
Linear probing is a collision resolution technique used in hash tables, where when a hash collision occurs (i.e., two keys hash to the same index), the algorithm sequentially searches for the next available slot in the table. It is a simple form of open addressing that increments the index by a fixed step (usually 1) until an empty slot is found, ensuring all data is stored within the table itself without external chaining. This method is widely implemented in hash-based data structures to handle collisions efficiently in scenarios with moderate load factors.
Developers should learn linear probing when implementing or optimizing hash tables in applications like caching, databases, or symbol tables, as it provides a straightforward way to resolve collisions with minimal overhead and good cache locality. It is particularly useful in memory-constrained environments or when predictable performance is needed for lookups, insertions, and deletions, though it can suffer from clustering issues at high load factors, so it's best suited for tables with low to moderate occupancy.