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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!yale-com!leichter
From: leichter@yale-com.UUCP (Jerry Leichter)
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: Hash table size selection
Message-ID: <2920@yale-com.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 13-Feb-84 12:58:25 EST
Article-I.D.: yale-com.2920
Posted: Mon Feb 13 12:58:25 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 15-Feb-84 00:48:46 EST
References: proper.997
Lines: 10

There is no reason why a hash table as such has to have a prime number of
entries.  Some hashing ALGORITHMS do better with a prime number of entries;
some, in fact, REQUIRE it.  If you can be more specific about the particular
hashing algorithm used, I might be able to explain the relevance of a prime
table size.  (Note:  In many cases, the use of a prime size is more a matter
of superstition than an actual requirement of the algorithm; many of these
algorithms will work just as well provided the size does not have any
small prime factors; in fact, in many cases any odd number will do quite
well.)
							-- Jerry