A Faster Algorithm for Constructing Minimal Perfect Hash Functions

Our previous research on one-probe access to large collections of data indexed by alphanumeric keys has produced the first practical minimal perfect hash functions for this problem. Here, a new algorithm is described for quickly finding minimal perfect hash functions whose specification space is very close to the theoretical lower bound, i.e., around 2 bits per key. The various stages of processing are detailed, along with analytical and empirical results, including timing for a set of over 3.8 million keys that was processed on a NeXTstation in about 6 hours.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 1992
• Where: SIGIR
• Authors: Edward A. Fox, Qi Fan Chen, Lenwood S. Heath
• Keywords: Alphanumeric Keys, Information Management, Minimal Perfect Hash, Perfect Hash Functions, SIGIR 1992