code: def _interleave(a, b, axis):
      assert a.shape[axis] in [b.shape[axis], b.shape[axis] + 1]
      a_pad = [(0, 0, 0)] * a.ndim
      b_pad = [(0, 0, 0)] * b.ndim
      a_pad[axis] = (0, 1 if a.shape[axis] == b.shape[axis] else 0, 1)
      b_pad[axis] = (1, 0 if a.shape[axis] == b.shape[axis] else 1, 1)
      a = _interior_pad(a, 0.0, a_pad)
      b = _interior_pad(b, 0.0, b_pad)
      return ivy.add(a, b)
  
imports: from typing import Optional, Union, Tuple, Iterable, Sequence, Callable, Any, Literal, List
  from numbers import Number
  from functools import partial
  import math
  import ivy
  from ivy.func_wrapper import handle_out_argument, handle_partial_mixed_function, to_native_arrays_and_back, inputs_to_native_shapes, handle_nestable, handle_array_like_without_promotion, handle_view, inputs_to_ivy_arrays, handle_array_function, handle_device, handle_backend_invalid
  from ivy.functional.ivy.general import _numel
  from ivy.utils.backend import current_backend
  from ivy.utils.exceptions import handle_exceptions
label_desc: Use image node_id 44 for calling a global function with example usage: _interleave(a, b, axis) and returns: ivy