I think there is a fundamental problem here arising from "For a random hash of "<n"> keys into "<k"> buckets,..". Presuming we can even define what random input means to the hash algorithm, the hash function will not generate random indicies.

I'll grant you the terminology is poor, but I don't see how they could possibly be referring to anything but an optimially balanced hash, one with with the same number of elements in each bucket.

It the formula was really the result of a sampling of random hashes, the formula wouldn't have been derived from "the sum of the squares of the number of entries in each bucket."

In reply to Re^2: About the expected number of comparisons for n keys into k buckets by ikegami
in thread About the expected number of comparisons for n keys into k buckets by PerlOnTheWay

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