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Bounded Linear Probing Hashing

Authors Ahmed Alharbi , Cyril Banderier , Charles Bouillaguet

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LIPIcs.AofA.2026.28.pdf
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Subject Classification

ACM Subject Classification
  • Theory of computation → Sorting and searching
  • Theory of computation → Design and analysis of algorithms
  • Mathematics of computing → Combinatorics
  • Theory of computation → Randomness, geometry and discrete structures
  • Mathematics of computing → Generating functions
Keywords
  • Linear probing hashing
  • analytic combinatorics
  • cryptography

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Abstract

We introduce a process that inserts elements into a hash table with a bounded number of probes, motivated by an application in cryptography. The cost of this algorithm is the number of insertion trials, whether successful or failed, until the table gets completely filled. This gives an interpolation between linear probing hashing and the coupon collector problem. We show that the process is related to a non-linear differential equation, which allows us to obtain the generating function of full tables. The proofs involve a full algebra of operators, which are themselves of independent interest. Then, we obtain the asymptotic behaviour of the expected number of insertion trials to get a full table.

Cite As Get BibTex

Ahmed Alharbi, Cyril Banderier, and Charles Bouillaguet. Bounded Linear Probing Hashing. In 37th International Conference on Probabilistic, Combinatorial and Asymptotic Methods for the Analysis of Algorithms (AofA 2026). Leibniz International Proceedings in Informatics (LIPIcs), Volume 381, pp. 28:1-28:17, Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz-Zentrum für Informatik (2026) https://doi.org/10.4230/LIPIcs.AofA.2026.28

Author Details

Ahmed Alharbi
  • LIP6, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
Cyril Banderier
  • CNRS & LIPN, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Villetaneuse, France
Charles Bouillaguet
  • LIP6, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France

Acknowledgements

Experiments presented in this paper were done on the https://www.grid5000.fr testbed. We thank the three referees for their careful reading.

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