Open Addressing
Open addressing is a collision resolution technique used in hash tables where all elements are stored directly in the array itself, rather than in separate linked lists. When a collision occurs (i.e., two keys hash to the same index), the algorithm probes through the array to find the next available slot according to a predefined sequence. This method eliminates the need for additional data structures like linked lists, making it memory-efficient but potentially slower under high load factors.
Developers should learn open addressing when implementing hash tables in memory-constrained environments or when cache locality is critical, as it stores all data in a contiguous array. It is particularly useful in embedded systems, real-time applications, or high-performance computing where predictable memory access patterns can improve performance. However, it requires careful handling of deletions and may degrade performance when the table becomes too full, so it's best suited for scenarios with known or controlled load factors.