What characterizes a binary tree?

A binary tree is characterized by the property that each node can have at most two children, often referred to as the left child and the right child. This structure is fundamental in computer science and is used in various applications, including search algorithms, expression parsing, and tree-based data structures like binary search trees and heaps.

The characteristic of having no more than two children allows for a clear and efficient organization of data, enabling operations such as traversal, insertion, and deletion to be performed systematically. This constraint leads to a more manageable structure compared to other types of trees that can have a variable number of children, enhancing both simplicity and efficiency in processing the tree.

In contrast, other options describe characteristics that do not align with the definition of a binary tree. A tree where each node can have up to three children pertains to a ternary tree, while a tree with nodes that store data only does not specify the important structural aspect of node connectivity. Lastly, a cyclic structure is fundamentally different from the acyclic nature of trees, where cycles would undermine the hierarchical organization that defines a tree.