3 Hash Algorithms

A hash function is an algorithm that takes data of any size and converts it into a fixed-size value called a hash or digest. Some hash functions can produce variable-length hashes instead of just fixed-size ones.

Hash functions can easily generate a hash from any text, but it's very difficult to reverse this process and recreate the original text from the hash. This makes hash functions one-way functions. It's also very rare for two different texts to have the same hash, making them collision-resistant.

Hash algorithms are mainly used to check if data has been altered. They are important for verifying data integrity, as well as for authentication and digital signatures in cryptography.