{"id":"internal-nodes-no-sibling-pointer","text":"Internal nodes have no sibling pointer field; their binary layout is `[type:1B][num_keys:2B][child₀:4B]([keylen:2B][key][child:4B])...` with no right-link, and `_deserialize_internal` returns a 2-tuple `(keys, children)` vs. the leaf's 3-tuple `(keys, values, next_sibling)`.","truth_value":"IN","source":"entries/2026/05/29/topic-internal-node-format.md","source_url":"","source_hash":"","justifications":[],"dependents":[],"metadata":{},"explanation":{"steps":[{"node":"internal-nodes-no-sibling-pointer","truth_value":"IN","reason":"premise"}]}}