while (it.hasNext()) {
        T next = it.next();
        if (comparator.compare(prev, next) >= 0) {
          return false;
        }
        prev = next;
      }
    }
    return true;
  }

  /**
   * Returns a {@code Collector} that returns the {@code k} smallest (relative to the specified
   * {@code Comparator}) input elements, in ascending order, as an unmodifiable {@code List}. Ties

      Iterable<T> result = (Iterable<T>) iterable;
      return result;
    }
    return new UnmodifiableIterable<>(iterable);
  }

  /**
   * Simply returns its argument.
   *
   * @deprecated no need to use this
   * @since 10.0
   */
  @Deprecated
  public static <E> Iterable<E> unmodifiableIterable(ImmutableCollection<E> iterable) {
    return checkNotNull(iterable);
  }

    return (ImmutableSortedSet<E>) RegularImmutableSortedSet.NATURAL_EMPTY_SET;
  }

  /** Returns an immutable sorted set containing a single element. */
  public static <E extends Comparable<? super E>> ImmutableSortedSet<E> of(E element) {
    return new RegularImmutableSortedSet<>(ImmutableList.of(element), Ordering.natural());
  }

  /**

  public static <K, V> ImmutableSortedMap<K, V> of() {
    return (ImmutableSortedMap<K, V>) NATURAL_EMPTY_MAP;
  }

  /** Returns an immutable map containing a single entry. */
  public static <K extends Comparable<? super K>, V> ImmutableSortedMap<K, V> of(K k1, V v1) {
    return of(Ordering.natural(), k1, v1);
  }

  /** Returns an immutable map containing a single entry. */

    return (ImmutableSetMultimap<K, V>) EmptyImmutableSetMultimap.INSTANCE;
  }

  /** Returns an immutable multimap containing a single entry. */
  public static <K, V> ImmutableSetMultimap<K, V> of(K k1, V v1) {
    ImmutableSetMultimap.Builder<K, V> builder = ImmutableSetMultimap.builder();
    builder.put(k1, v1);
    return builder.build();
  }

  /**

   * otherwise the default value of 11 is returned.
   */
  static int inferDistinctElements(Iterable<?> elements) {
    if (elements instanceof Multiset) {
      return ((Multiset<?>) elements).elementSet().size();
    }
    return 11; // initial capacity will be rounded up to 16
  }

  /**
   * Returns an unmodifiable view of the union of two multisets. In the returned multiset, the count

    checkEntryNotNull(key, value);
    return new AbstractMap.SimpleImmutableEntry<>(key, value);
  }

  /**
   * Returns a new builder. The generated builder is equivalent to the builder created by the {@link
   * Builder} constructor.
   */
  public static <K, V> Builder<K, V> builder() {
    return new Builder<>();
  }

  /**

    }
    return result;
  }

  /**
   * Returns a new range set consisting of the union of this range set and {@code other}.
   *
   * <p>This is essentially the same as {@code TreeRangeSet.create(this).addAll(other)} except it
   * returns an {@code ImmutableRangeSet}.
   *
   * @since 21.0
   */
  public ImmutableRangeSet<C> union(RangeSet<C> other) {

    return CollectCollectors.toImmutableRangeMap(keyFunction, valueFunction);
  }

  /**
   * Returns an empty immutable range map.
   *
   * <p><b>Performance note:</b> the instance returned is a singleton.
   */
  @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
  public static <K extends Comparable<?>, V> ImmutableRangeMap<K, V> of() {
    return (ImmutableRangeMap<K, V>) EMPTY;
  }

    return (ImmutableBiMap<K, V>) RegularImmutableBiMap.EMPTY;
  }

  /** Returns an immutable bimap containing a single entry. */
  public static <K, V> ImmutableBiMap<K, V> of(K k1, V v1) {
    checkEntryNotNull(k1, v1);
    return new RegularImmutableBiMap<>(new Object[] {k1, v1}, 1);
  }

  /**
   * Returns an immutable map containing the given entries, in order.
   *