# Introduction There are three primitive elements found in Bitcoin: Hash Functions, [Merkle Trees](https://bitcoinsv.academy/course/bitcoin-primitives-merkle-trees), and [Digital Signatures](https://bitcoinsv.academy/course/bitcoin-primitives-digital-signatures). If you take the time to learn these three Bitcoin primitives well, you will likely find the learning curve to understanding Bitcoin significantly reduced. The focus of this course is Hash functions. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://hub.bsvblockchain.org/higher-learning/bsv-academy/hash-functions-crash-course/introduction.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.