Core Concept Mastery • DSA Module
A hash table gives the fastest average search (O(1)) compared to an array (O(n) for search) or a BST (O(log n)). The main downside is that hashing does not keep data in sorted order. Use a BST if you need order.
*O(1) assumes a good hash function and low load factor.
When you only need fast find and insert by key and do not care about order, hashing is a great choice. When you need range queries or sorted order, use a tree instead.