Question

Is it possible for two unequal objects to have the same hashcode?

Option 1: Yes, it is always possible for unequal objects to have the same hashcode.
Option 2: No, unequal objects will never have the same hashcode.
Option 3: Yes, but it is very unlikely for unequal objects to have the same hashcode.
Option 4: No, it is mathematically impossible for unequal objects to have the same hashcode.

Answer 1

Two unequal objects can have the same hashcode; this is known as a hash collision. It's possible due to the limited number of hashcodes compared to the number of unique objects that can exist.

Step-by-step explanation:

Is it possible for two unequal objects to have the same hashcode? The correct answer is Option 1: Yes, it is always possible for unequal objects to have the same hashcode. Hashcodes are numerical representations generated by a hashing function. Due to the finite number of possible hashcodes and the potentially infinite number of unique objects, different objects can indeed end up sharing the same hashcode; a scenario commonly known as a hash collision. This does not happen often, and good hashing functions are designed to minimize the probability of collisions, but it is still possible. When designing systems that rely on hashing, such as hash tables in computer programming, it's important to handle collisions efficiently to maintain performance.