diff --git a/examples/agent_executor/base.ipynb b/examples/agent_executor/base.ipynb
index cbc3ecc2..7eeddb4d 100644
--- a/examples/agent_executor/base.ipynb
+++ b/examples/agent_executor/base.ipynb
@@ -79,7 +79,6 @@
     "const AgentState = Annotation.Root({\n",
     "  messages: Annotation<BaseMessage[]>({\n",
     "    reducer: (x, y) => x.concat(y),\n",
-    "    default: () => [],\n",
     "  }),\n",
     "});"
    ]
diff --git a/examples/how-tos/branching.ipynb b/examples/how-tos/branching.ipynb
index fb04ae45..bdfc2504 100644
--- a/examples/how-tos/branching.ipynb
+++ b/examples/how-tos/branching.ipynb
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
   },
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
-   "execution_count": 2,
+   "execution_count": 1,
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [
     {
@@ -80,20 +80,13 @@
     }
    ],
    "source": [
-    "import { END, START, StateGraph } from \"@langchain/langgraph\";\n",
-    "import { StateGraphArgs } from \"@langchain/langgraph\";\n",
-    "\n",
-    "// Define the state type\n",
-    "interface IState {\n",
-    "  aggregate: string[];\n",
-    "}\n",
+    "import { END, START, StateGraph, Annotation } from \"@langchain/langgraph\";\n",
     "\n",
-    "const graphState: StateGraphArgs<IState>[\"channels\"] = {\n",
-    "  aggregate: {\n",
-    "    value: (x: string[], y: string[]) => x.concat(y),\n",
-    "    default: () => [],\n",
-    "  },\n",
-    "};\n",
+    "const GraphState = Annotation.Root({\n",
+    "  aggregate: Annotation<string[]>({\n",
+    "    reducer: (x, y) => x.concat(y),\n",
+    "  })\n",
+    "})\n",
     "\n",
     "// Define the ReturnNodeValue class\n",
     "class ReturnNodeValue {\n",
@@ -103,7 +96,7 @@
     "    this._value = value;\n",
     "  }\n",
     "\n",
-    "  public call(state: IState) {\n",
+    "  public call(state: typeof GraphState.State) {\n",
     "    console.log(`Adding ${this._value} to ${state.aggregate}`);\n",
     "    return { aggregate: [this._value] };\n",
     "  }\n",
@@ -115,7 +108,7 @@
     "const nodeC = new ReturnNodeValue(\"I'm C\");\n",
     "const nodeD = new ReturnNodeValue(\"I'm D\");\n",
     "\n",
-    "const builder = new StateGraph<IState>({ channels: graphState })\n",
+    "const builder = new StateGraph(GraphState)\n",
     "  .addNode(\"a\", nodeA.call.bind(nodeA))\n",
     "  .addEdge(START, \"a\")\n",
     "  .addNode(\"b\", nodeB.call.bind(nodeB))\n",
@@ -151,7 +144,7 @@
   },
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
-   "execution_count": 3,
+   "execution_count": 4,
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [
     {
@@ -167,23 +160,14 @@
     }
    ],
    "source": [
-    "// Define the state type\n",
-    "interface IState2 {\n",
-    "  // The operator.add reducer function makes this append-only\n",
-    "  aggregate: string[];\n",
-    "  which: string;\n",
-    "}\n",
-    "\n",
-    "const graphState2: StateGraphArgs<IState2>[\"channels\"] = {\n",
-    "  aggregate: {\n",
-    "    value: (x: string[], y: string[]) => x.concat(y),\n",
-    "    default: () => [],\n",
-    "  },\n",
-    "  which: {\n",
-    "    value: (x: string, y: string) => (y ? y : x),\n",
-    "    default: () => \"bc\",\n",
-    "  },\n",
-    "};\n",
+    "const GraphStateConditionalBranching = Annotation.Root({\n",
+    "  aggregate: Annotation<string[]>({\n",
+    "    reducer: (x, y) => x.concat(y),\n",
+    "  }),\n",
+    "  which: Annotation<string>({\n",
+    "    reducer: (x: string, y: string) => (y ?? x),\n",
+    "  })\n",
+    "})\n",
     "\n",
     "// Create the graph\n",
     "const nodeA2 = new ReturnNodeValue(\"I'm A\");\n",
@@ -192,14 +176,14 @@
     "const nodeD2 = new ReturnNodeValue(\"I'm D\");\n",
     "const nodeE2 = new ReturnNodeValue(\"I'm E\");\n",
     "// Define the route function\n",
-    "function routeCDorBC(state: IState2): string[] {\n",
+    "function routeCDorBC(state: typeof GraphStateConditionalBranching.State): string[] {\n",
     "  if (state.which === \"cd\") {\n",
     "    return [\"c\", \"d\"];\n",
     "  }\n",
     "  return [\"b\", \"c\"];\n",
     "}\n",
     "\n",
-    "const builder2 = new StateGraph<IState2>({ channels: graphState2 })\n",
+    "const builder2 = new StateGraph(GraphStateConditionalBranching)\n",
     "  .addNode(\"a\", nodeA2.call.bind(nodeA2))\n",
     "  .addEdge(START, \"a\")\n",
     "  .addNode(\"b\", nodeB2.call.bind(nodeB2))\n",
@@ -222,7 +206,7 @@
   },
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
-   "execution_count": 4,
+   "execution_count": 5,
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [
     {
@@ -263,7 +247,7 @@
   },
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
-   "execution_count": 5,
+   "execution_count": 6,
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [
     {
@@ -282,6 +266,11 @@
     }
    ],
    "source": [
+    "type ScoredValue = {\n",
+    "  value: string;\n",
+    "  score: number;\n",
+    "};\n",
+    "\n",
     "const reduceFanouts = (left?: ScoredValue[], right?: ScoredValue[]) => {\n",
     "  if (!left) {\n",
     "    left = [];\n",
@@ -293,34 +282,18 @@
     "  return left.concat(right);\n",
     "};\n",
     "\n",
-    "type ScoredValue = {\n",
-    "  value: string;\n",
-    "  score: number;\n",
-    "};\n",
-    "\n",
-    "// Define the state type\n",
-    "// 'value' defines the 'reducer', which determines how updates are applied\n",
-    "// 'default' defines the default value for the state\n",
-    "interface IState3 {\n",
-    "  aggregate: string[];\n",
-    "  which: string;\n",
-    "  fanoutValues: ScoredValue[];\n",
-    "}\n",
+    "const GraphStateStableSorting = Annotation.Root({\n",
+    "  aggregate: Annotation<string[]>({\n",
+    "    reducer: (x, y) => x.concat(y),\n",
+    "  }),\n",
+    "  which: Annotation<string>({\n",
+    "    reducer: (x: string, y: string) => (y ?? x),\n",
+    "  }),\n",
+    "  fanoutValues: Annotation<ScoredValue[]>({\n",
+    "    reducer: reduceFanouts,\n",
+    "  }),\n",
+    "})\n",
     "\n",
-    "const graphState3: StateGraphArgs<IState3>[\"channels\"] = {\n",
-    "  aggregate: {\n",
-    "    value: (x: string[], y: string[]) => x.concat(y),\n",
-    "    default: () => [],\n",
-    "  },\n",
-    "  which: {\n",
-    "    value: (x: string, y: string) => (y ? y : x),\n",
-    "    default: () => \"\",\n",
-    "  },\n",
-    "  fanoutValues: {\n",
-    "    value: reduceFanouts,\n",
-    "    default: () => [],\n",
-    "  },\n",
-    "};\n",
     "\n",
     "class ParallelReturnNodeValue {\n",
     "  private _value: string;\n",
@@ -331,7 +304,7 @@
     "    this._score = score;\n",
     "  }\n",
     "\n",
-    "  public call(state: IState3) {\n",
+    "  public call(state: typeof GraphStateStableSorting.State) {\n",
     "    console.log(`Adding ${this._value} to ${state.aggregate}`);\n",
     "    return { fanoutValues: [{ value: this._value, score: this._score }] };\n",
     "  }\n",
@@ -345,7 +318,7 @@
     "const nodeC3 = new ParallelReturnNodeValue(\"I'm C\", 0.9);\n",
     "const nodeD3 = new ParallelReturnNodeValue(\"I'm D\", 0.3);\n",
     "\n",
-    "const aggregateFanouts = (state: { fanoutValues: ScoredValue[] }) => {\n",
+    "const aggregateFanouts = (state: typeof GraphStateStableSorting.State) => {\n",
     "  // Sort by score (reversed)\n",
     "  state.fanoutValues.sort((a, b) => b.score - a.score);\n",
     "  return {\n",
@@ -355,14 +328,14 @@
     "};\n",
     "\n",
     "// Define the route function\n",
-    "function routeBCOrCD(state: { which: string }): string[] {\n",
+    "function routeBCOrCD(state: typeof GraphStateStableSorting.State): string[] {\n",
     "  if (state.which === \"cd\") {\n",
     "    return [\"c\", \"d\"];\n",
     "  }\n",
     "  return [\"b\", \"c\"];\n",
     "}\n",
     "\n",
-    "const builder3 = new StateGraph<IState3>({ channels: graphState3 })\n",
+    "const builder3 = new StateGraph(GraphStateStableSorting)\n",
     "  .addNode(\"a\", nodeA3.call.bind(nodeA3))\n",
     "  .addEdge(START, \"a\")\n",
     "  .addNode(\"b\", nodeB3.call.bind(nodeB3))\n",
@@ -394,7 +367,7 @@
   },
   {
    "cell_type": "code",
-   "execution_count": 6,
+   "execution_count": 7,
    "metadata": {},
    "outputs": [
     {
@@ -416,13 +389,6 @@
     "let g3result2 = await graph3.invoke({ aggregate: [], which: \"cd\" });\n",
     "console.log(\"Result 2: \", g3result2);\n"
    ]
-  },
-  {
-   "cell_type": "code",
-   "execution_count": null,
-   "metadata": {},
-   "outputs": [],
-   "source": []
   }
  ],
  "metadata": {