return 0;
      } else if (left == null) {
        return -1;
      } else if (right == null) {
        return 1;
      }
      int leftCode = identityHashCode(left);
      int rightCode = identityHashCode(right);
      if (leftCode != rightCode) {
        return leftCode < rightCode ? -1 : 1;
      }

      // identityHashCode collision (rare, but not as rare as you'd think)