Explain what happens when two different input values produce the same hash in a hash table.

When two different input values produce the same hash in a hash table, this is called a collision. In such a situation, the hash table must handle the collision correctly to preserve both values.

Typically, the following methods are used:

• Chaining: each cell of the hash table stores a list (or another container) of all elements with the same hash. When a collision occurs, the new element is added to this list.

• Open addressing: upon collision, the next free cell is sought according to a specific rule (linear probing, quadratic probing, double hashing).

In Python, dictionaries use chained hashing with optimizations. This allows efficient storage and retrieval of elements even in the case of collisions.