Editing Hash function (section)

=== Deterministic ===
A hash procedure must be [[deterministic algorithm|deterministic]]—for a given input value, it must always generate the same hash value. In other words, it must be a [[function (mathematics)|function]] of the data to be hashed, in the mathematical sense of the term. This requirement excludes hash functions that depend on external variable parameters, such as [[pseudo-random number generator]]s or the time of day. It also excludes functions that depend on the memory address of the object being hashed, because the address may change during execution (as may happen on systems that use certain methods of [[garbage collection (computer science)|garbage collection]]), although sometimes rehashing of the item is possible.

The determinism is in the context of the reuse of the function. For example, [[Python (programming language)|Python]] adds the feature that hash functions make use of a randomized seed that is generated once when the Python process starts in addition to the input to be hashed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://docs.python.org/3/reference/datamodel.html#object.__hash__|title=3. Data model — Python 3.6.1 documentation|website=docs.python.org|access-date=2017-03-24}}</ref> The Python hash ([[SipHash]]) is still a valid hash function when used within a single run, but if the values are persisted (for example, written to disk), they can no longer be treated as valid hash values, since in the next run the random value might differ.