Western Governors University (WGU) ICSC2100 C949 Data Structures and Algorithms I Practice Exam

In a binary tree, each node is designed to have a maximum of two children. This structure defines the fundamental characteristics of a binary tree, where each node can have at most one left child and one right child. The two-child limit is essential for maintaining the properties of binary trees, making them efficient for various operations such as insertion, deletion, and traversal.

This constraint allows binary trees to support different types, such as binary search trees, where the arrangement of nodes is determined by the values they hold, facilitating efficient searching. The structure also enables the implementation of balanced trees, which enhance performance by keeping the height of the tree minimized, thereby ensuring quicker access times.

The other choices refer to trees with different structures. For example, options referring to one child might describe a linear structure known as a linked list, while options indicating three or four children pertain to other types of trees like ternary trees or quaternary trees. However, these structures do not apply to binary trees, affirming that the maximum number of children a node in a binary tree can have is indeed two.