Can binary trees be non-binary?

No, binary trees cannot be non-binary by definition.

A binary tree is a specific type of data structure in computer science. The term 'binary' in binary tree refers to the fact that each node in the tree can have at most two children. These are typically referred to as the left child and the right child. This is a fundamental characteristic of binary trees and it is what distinguishes them from other types of trees.

If a tree allows nodes to have more than two children, it is not a binary tree. Such trees are often referred to as multi-way trees or k-ary trees, where 'k' is the maximum number of children a node can have. For example, a ternary tree is a type of k-ary tree where each node can have up to three children.

The structure of a binary tree is important for many algorithms and processes in computer science. For example, binary search trees are a type of binary tree that are used for efficient search and sorting operations. The binary nature of these trees is crucial for their functionality. If they were to allow more than two children per node, they would not be able to provide the same efficiency guarantees.

In conclusion, while there are many different types of trees in computer science, binary trees are specifically defined as having at most two children per node. Any tree that allows more than two children per node is not a binary tree, but falls into a different category of tree data structures.