Programming for Mathematical Applications
A worst-case scenario refers to the most unfavorable or detrimental outcome that could possibly occur in a given situation. In the context of hash tables and dictionaries, this concept helps in analyzing the efficiency and performance of these data structures under extreme conditions, such as when collisions are maximized or when all keys hash to the same index, leading to poor performance. Understanding this term is crucial for evaluating how well a hash table can perform and the implications it has on operations like insertion, deletion, and retrieval.
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