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The MD5 message-digest algorithm is a widely implemented cryptographic hash function that produces a fixed-length 128-bit (16-byte) output, regardless of the size of the input data. It was originally designed for use in digital signatures and data integrity verification.

To improve readability and compatibility with text-based systems, the binary 128-bit MD5 hash is typically encoded as a 32-character hexadecimal string. Each byte is represented by two hexadecimal digits, resulting in a compact and human-readable format - for example, d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e.

MD5 is commonly used to generate checksums for files, verify the integrity of transmitted data, and uniquely identify data objects. While the algorithm is computationally efficient and easy to implement, it is no longer considered secure for cryptographic purposes due to known vulnerabilities, including collision attacks where two different inputs produce the same hash.

Despite its cryptographic weaknesses, MD5 remains in widespread use for non-security-critical applications such as indexing, partitioning, and fingerprinting data. Its fixed output length and deterministic nature continue to make it a practical tool in many engineering contexts where cryptographic strength is not a primary concern.