Linear probing

Linear probing is a hashing technique that resolves collisions by probing sequentially through the hash table until an empty slot is found. It is a type of open addressing method where the key is hashed to a specific index, and if that index is already occupied, the algorithm searches for the next available slot by incrementing the index until an empty slot is found or the entire hash table is traversed.

Separate chaining

Separate chaining is a different hashing technique that handles collisions by storing multiple elements with the same hash key in separate linked lists. Each slot in the hash table contains a pointer to the head of a linked list, and elements with the same hash value are chained together. This allows for efficient storage of multiple elements with the same hash key, but it requires additional memory for the linked lists and incurs the overhead of traversing the linked list to find a specific element.

Quadratic probing

Quadratic probing is another open addressing method that resolves collisions by using a quadratic function to determine the next index to probe. Instead of linearly incrementing the index, quadratic probing uses a formula to calculate the next index based on the current index and a quadratic term. This reduces the likelihood of clustering and distributes the elements more evenly in the hash table, but it can still result in collisions and requires careful selection of the quadratic function parameters.

Double hashing

Double hashing is an open addressing technique that uses two hash functions to determine the next index to probe. The first hash function calculates the initial index, and if that index is occupied, the second hash function is used to calculate the next index. This provides a more deterministic probing sequence and can help to reduce clustering and improve the distribution of elements in the hash table.

Cuckoo hashing

Cuckoo hashing is another open addressing method that uses multiple hash functions and multiple hash tables to store elements. When a collision occurs, the algorithm checks the other hash table using a different hash function to find an empty slot. If an empty slot is found, the element is inserted into that slot, and the displaced element is moved to the other hash table. This process continues until all elements are successfully inserted or a maximum number of displacements is reached.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the hashing technique that uses the concept of linear probing is option A: Separate chaining. Linear probing is an open addressing method where collisions are resolved by sequentially probing through the hash table.