Hash-Binary Search: A Fast Technique for Searching an English Spelling Dictionary

When a document Is prepared using a computer system, it can be checked for spelling errors automatically and efficiently. This paper presents the hash-binary method for searching a static table and applies It to searching an English spelling dictionary. Analysis shows that with only a small amount of space beyond that required to store the keys, the hash-binary search method pei— forms better than either hashing with open-addressing or binary search. Experiments with a sample dictionary verify the results. We also present extensions to account for skewed frequencies of access as well as methods for testing alternative hashing functIons.