{"id":"next-free-page-is-monotonic","text":"The `next_free_page` metadata field only ever increases — it is the high-water mark of file extension, never decremented even when pages are freed; file size never shrinks, only interior pages are recycled via the free list.","truth_value":"IN","source":"entries/2026/05/29/topic-free-list-reuse-under-churn.md","source_url":"","source_hash":"","justifications":[],"dependents":[],"metadata":{},"explanation":{"steps":[{"node":"next-free-page-is-monotonic","truth_value":"IN","reason":"premise"}]}}