*   <li>If {@code equivalent(x, y)} and {@code equivalent(y, z)} are both true, then {@code
   *       equivalent(x, z)} is also true (<i>transitive</i> property)
   * </ul>
   *
   * <p>Note that all calls to {@code equivalent(x, y)} are expected to return the same result as
   * long as neither {@code x} nor {@code y} is modified.
   */
  public final boolean equivalent(@CheckForNull T a, @CheckForNull T b) {
    if (a == b) {

   *   <li>If {@code equivalent(x, y)} and {@code equivalent(y, z)} are both true, then {@code
   *       equivalent(x, z)} is also true (<i>transitive</i> property)
   * </ul>
   *
   * <p>Note that all calls to {@code equivalent(x, y)} are expected to return the same result as
   * long as neither {@code x} nor {@code y} is modified.
   */
  public final boolean equivalent(@CheckForNull T a, @CheckForNull T b) {
    if (a == b) {

   *
   * <p><b>{@code Stream} equivalent:</b> {@code Stream.empty()}.
   *
   * @since 20.0
   */
  public static <E extends @Nullable Object> FluentIterable<E> of() {
    return FluentIterable.from(Collections.<E>emptyList());
  }

  /**
   * Returns a fluent iterable containing the specified elements in order.
   *
   * <p><b>{@code Stream} equivalent:</b> {@link java.util.stream.Stream#of(Object[])

   *
   * <p><b>{@code Stream} equivalent:</b> {@link Stream#empty}.
   *
   * @since 20.0
   */
  public static <E extends @Nullable Object> FluentIterable<E> of() {
    return FluentIterable.from(Collections.<E>emptyList());
  }

  /**
   * Returns a fluent iterable containing the specified elements in order.
   *
   * <p><b>{@code Stream} equivalent:</b> {@link java.util.stream.Stream#of(Object[])

  /**
   * Determines if the given iterable contains no elements.
   *
   * <p>There is no precise {@link Iterator} equivalent to this method, since one can only ask an
   * iterator whether it has any elements <i>remaining</i> (which one does using {@link
   * Iterator#hasNext}).
   *
   * <p><b>{@code Stream} equivalent:</b> {@code !stream.findAny().isPresent()}
   *
   * @return {@code true} if the iterable contains no elements

  /**
   * Determines if the given iterable contains no elements.
   *
   * <p>There is no precise {@link Iterator} equivalent to this method, since one can only ask an
   * iterator whether it has any elements <i>remaining</i> (which one does using {@link
   * Iterator#hasNext}).
   *
   * <p><b>{@code Stream} equivalent:</b> {@code !stream.findAny().isPresent()}
   *
   * @return {@code true} if the iterable contains no elements

   *
   * <p><b>Comparison to {@code java.util.Optional}:</b> this method is equivalent to Java 8's
   * {@code Optional.ofNullable}.
   */
  public static <T> Optional<T> fromNullable(@CheckForNull T nullableReference) {
    return (nullableReference == null) ? Optional.<T>absent() : new Present<T>(nullableReference);
  }

  /**
   * Returns the equivalent {@code com.google.common.base.Optional} value to the given {@code

   * perform better than its longhand equivalent, but should not perform worse.
   *
   * @since 12.0
   */
  HashCode hashInt(int input);

  /**
   * Shortcut for {@code newHasher().putLong(input).hash()}; returns the hash code for the given
   * {@code long} value, interpreted in little-endian byte order. The implementation <i>might</i>
   * perform better than its longhand equivalent, but should not perform worse.
   */

   */
  @CheckForNull
  Range<C> rangeContaining(C value);

  /**
   * Returns {@code true} if there exists a non-empty range enclosed by both a member range in this
   * range set and the specified range. This is equivalent to calling {@code
   * subRangeSet(otherRange)} and testing whether the resulting range set is non-empty.
   *
   * @since 20.0
   */
  boolean intersects(Range<C> otherRange);

  /**

   * that of {@code ((Character) a).compareTo(b)}.
   *
   * <p><b>Java 7+ users:</b> this method should be treated as deprecated; use the equivalent {@link
   * Character#compare} method instead.
   *
   * @param a the first {@code char} to compare
   * @param b the second {@code char} to compare