Can you explain how access to elements inside a HashMap data structure is performed?

HashMap is a data structure that stores key-value pairs and provides fast access to values by key.

Access to elements in a HashMap occurs as follows:

1. The hash code of the key is computed using a hash function.
2. The hash code is used to determine the index in the array (bucket) where a linked list or tree of elements with the same hash may be stored.
3. In the selected bucket, a search for the element with the desired key is performed (comparing keys using the equals method).
4. If the element is found, its associated value is returned.

Thus, access to an element typically has an amortized complexity of O(1), but in the worst case (many collisions), it can be O(n).