An advantage of a chained hash table (external hashing) over an…

Concept

A hash table resolves collisions either by keeping colliding entries in a separate bucket structure or by probing other positions in the table array.

Deletion must preserve the reachability of every remaining key. The required repair depends on whether reachability is carried by links or by a probe sequence.

Application

1. In separate chaining, keys hashing to one index are stored in that bucket’s linked structure. Once the target node is found, deletion reconnects its neighboring links.

2. In open addressing, displaced keys remain reachable through a probe sequence. Simply clearing a slot can make a later search stop too early, so deletion normally needs a tombstone or an equivalent repair.

3. Thus the chained representation needs only a local link update, whereas open addressing must also preserve probe continuity.

Contrast

• “Worst case complexity of search operations is less” is not the distinguishing advantage: either scheme can require examining O(n) stored keys in the worst case.

• “Space used is less” does not describe chaining: linked nodes carry pointer or link overhead, while open addressing stores entries in the table array.

• “None of the above” is excluded because the deletion mechanisms are materially different.

Result

Therefore, the advantage among the offered values is “Deletion is easier.”