}
		return m2
	}

	// Otherwise, return the bitmask with the shortest average distance between NUMA nodes.
	if m1Distance < m2Distance {
		return m1
	}

	return m2
}

func (n NUMAInfo) DefaultAffinityMask() bitmask.BitMask {
	defaultAffinity, _ := bitmask.NewBitMask(n.Nodes...)
	return defaultAffinity
}

func (d NUMADistances) CalculateAverageFor(bm bitmask.BitMask) float64 {

	singleNumaHints := filterSingleNumaHints(filteredHints)

	merger := NewHintMerger(p.numaInfo, singleNumaHints, p.Name(), p.opts)
	bestHint := merger.Merge()

	if bestHint.NUMANodeAffinity.IsEqual(p.numaInfo.DefaultAffinityMask()) {
		bestHint = TopologyHint{nil, bestHint.Preferred}
	}

	admit := p.canAdmitPodResult(&bestHint)
	return bestHint, admit

		return current
	}

	// Case 3cc
	return m.CompareNUMAAffinityMasks(current, candidate)

}

func (m HintMerger) Merge() TopologyHint {
	defaultAffinity := m.NUMAInfo.DefaultAffinityMask()

	var bestHint *TopologyHint
	iterateAllProviderTopologyHints(m.Hints, func(permutation []TopologyHint) {
		// Get the NUMANodeAffinity from each hint in the permutation and see if any