Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised May 28, 2026

Hash tree (persistent data structure)

In computer science, a hash tree is a persistent data structure that can be used to implement sets and maps, intended to replace hash tables in purely functional programming. In its basic form, a hash tree stores the hashes of its keys, regarded as strings of bits, in a trie, with the actual keys and (optional) values stored at the trie's "final" nodes.

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May 28, 2026
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In computer science, a hash tree (or hash trie) is a persistent data structure that can be used to implement sets and maps, intended to replace hash tables in purely functional programming. In its basic form, a hash tree stores the hashes of its keys, regarded as strings of bits, in a trie, with the actual keys and (optional) values stored at the trie's "final" nodes.1

Hash array mapped tries and Ctries are refined versions of this data structure, using particular type of trie implementations.1

References

References

  1. Phil Bagwell (2000). Ideal Hash Trees (PDF) (Report). Infoscience Department, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne.