On: Undergraduate shows that searches within hash tables can be much faster

[dwaltrip]

It isn’t necessarily “wasted” time. There are more ways to look at it, as well as 2nd order and 3rd order effects (and so on).

It’s a powerful skill to be able to try to solve things from first principles. And it’s a muscle you can strengthen.

It would be a bit silly to never look anything up, but it isn’t so black and white.