Final answer:
When two files on the same partition point to the same inode structure, they are called hard links. Hard links refer directly to the data on disk without duplication, unlike soft links that point to file paths and can link across file systems.
Step-by-step explanation:
If two files on the same partition point to the same inode structure, they are called hard links. A hard link allows two or more filenames to refer to the same piece of data on the disk without duplicating the actual data. It is important to note that hard links cannot cross file system boundaries or link directories (excluding ./ and ../).
In contrast, a soft link, also known as a symbolic link, points to another entry somewhere in the file system by pathname, which can be across different file systems and can link directories. An alias, in the context of file systems, usually refers to a shortcut or a symbolic link rather than a hard link.