What is a collision in a hash function?(2 points)
Responses
2 inputs map to the same output
2 outputs come from the same input
There are few outputs, but a lot of inputs.
There are few inputs, but a lot of outputs.
The correct response is: 2 inputs map to the same output
A collision in a hash function occurs when two different inputs produce the same output. In other words, it means that two inputs map to the same output value.
To understand this concept, let's take a closer look at how a hash function works. A hash function takes an input and processes it through a mathematical algorithm to produce a fixed-size output, which is often represented as a hash value or hash code. Hash functions are commonly used in computer science and cryptography for various purposes, such as data storage, password hashing, and data integrity verification.
Ideally, a hash function should produce a unique output for each unique input. However, due to the limitations of hash functions and the fact that the output space is usually smaller than the input space, collisions can occur. Collisions are inevitable because there are typically more possible inputs than there are possible outputs.
So, to summarize, a collision in a hash function refers to the situation where two different inputs produce the same output. This can happen when there are more possible inputs than the number of possible outputs, which is a common scenario in most hash functions.
A collision in a hash function refers to the situation where two different inputs map to the same output. So, the correct response is:
- 2 inputs map to the same output.