def _hash_full(self, leaves, l_idx, r_idx):
        """Hash the leaves between (l_idx, r_idx) as a valid entire tree.

        Note that this is only valid for certain combinations of indexes,
        depending on where the leaves are meant to be located in a parent tree.

        Returns:
            (root_hash, hashes): where root_hash is that of the entire tree,
            and hashes are that of the full (i.e. size 2^k) subtrees that form
            the entire tree, sorted in descending order of size.
        """
        width = r_idx - l_idx
        if width < 0 or l_idx < 0 or r_idx > len(leaves):
            raise IndexError("%s,%s not a valid range over [0,%s]" % (
                l_idx, r_idx, len(leaves)))
        elif width == 0:
            return self.hash_empty(), ()
        elif width == 1:
            leaf_hash = self.hash_leaf(leaves[l_idx])
            return leaf_hash, (leaf_hash,)
        else:
            # next smallest power of 2
            split_width = 2**((width - 1).bit_length() - 1)
            assert split_width < width <= 2*split_width
            l_root, l_hashes = self._hash_full(leaves, l_idx, l_idx+split_width)
            assert len(l_hashes) == 1 # left tree always full
            r_root, r_hashes = self._hash_full(leaves, l_idx+split_width, r_idx)
            root_hash = self.hash_children(l_root, r_root)
            return (root_hash, (root_hash,) if split_width*2 == width else
                                l_hashes + r_hashes)
Hash the leaves between (l_idx, r_idx) as a valid entire tree.

        Note that this is only valid for certain combinations of indexes,
        depending on where the leaves are meant to be located in a parent tree.

        Returns:
            (root_hash, hashes): where root_hash is that of the entire tree,
            and hashes are that of the full (i.e. size 2^k) subtrees that form
            the entire tree, sorted in descending order of size.