What Does Hash Function Mean?
A hash function takes a group of characters (called a key) and maps it to a value of a certain length (called a hash value or hash). The hash value is representative of the original string of characters, but is normally smaller than the original.
Techopedia Explains Hash Function
Hashing is used with a database to enable items to be retrieved more quickly. Hashing can also be used in the encryption and decryption of digital signatures. The hash function transforms the digital signature, then both the hash value and signature are sent to the receiver. The receiver uses the same hash function to generate the hash value and then compares it to that received with the message. If the hash values are the same, it is likely that the message was transmitted without errors.
