int left = 0;
    int right = 2 * k - 1;

    int minThresholdPosition = 0;
    // The leftmost position at which the greatest of the k lower elements
    // -- the new value of threshold -- might be found.

    int iterations = 0;
    int maxIterations = IntMath.log2(right - left, RoundingMode.CEILING) * 3;
    while (left < right) {
      int pivotIndex = (left + right + 1) >>> 1;

      @Override
      public int compare(byte[] left, byte[] right) {
        int minLength = Math.min(left.length, right.length);
        for (int i = 0; i < minLength; i++) {
          int result = UnsignedBytes.compare(left[i], right[i]);
          if (result != 0) {
            return result;
          }
        }
        return left.length - right.length;
      }

      @Override

        rnd.nextBytes(left);
        byte[] right = left.clone();
        assertThat(comparator.compare(left, right)).isEqualTo(0);
        int i = rnd.nextInt(left.length);
        left[i] ^= (byte) (1 + rnd.nextInt(255));
        assertThat(comparator.compare(left, right)).isNotEqualTo(0);
        assertThat(UnsignedBytes.compare(left[i], right[i]) > 0)
            .isEqualTo(comparator.compare(left, right) > 0);
      }
    }
  }

      successor(pred(), succ());
      if (left == null) {
        return right;
      } else if (right == null) {
        return left;
      } else if (left.height >= right.height) {
        AvlNode<E> newTop = pred();
        // newTop is the maximum node in my left subtree
        newTop.left = left.removeMax(newTop);
        newTop.right = right;
        newTop.distinctElements = distinctElements - 1;

    INSTANCE;

    @Override
    public int compare(int[] left, int[] right) {
      int minLength = Math.min(left.length, right.length);
      for (int i = 0; i < minLength; i++) {
        if (left[i] != right[i]) {
          return UnsignedInts.compare(left[i], right[i]);
        }
      }
      return left.length - right.length;
    }

    @Override
    public String toString() {

                      public int compare(Entry<String, String> left, Entry<String, String> right) {
                        return ComparisonChain.start()
                            .compare(left.getKey(), right.getKey(), Ordering.natural().nullsFirst())
                            .compare(
                                left.getValue(), right.getValue(), Ordering.natural().nullsFirst())
                            .result();

    INSTANCE;

    @Override
    public int compare(float[] left, float[] right) {
      int minLength = Math.min(left.length, right.length);
      for (int i = 0; i < minLength; i++) {
        int result = Float.compare(left[i], right[i]);
        if (result != 0) {
          return result;
        }
      }
      return left.length - right.length;
    }

    @Override
    public String toString() {

          return left.getName().compareTo(right.getName());
        }
      };

  private static final Ordering<Invokable<?, ?>> BY_PARAMETERS =
      new Ordering<Invokable<?, ?>>() {
        @Override
        public int compare(Invokable<?, ?> left, Invokable<?, ?> right) {
          return Ordering.usingToString().compare(left.getParameters(), right.getParameters());
        }
      };

  }

  private static final class NullFriendlyComparator<T> implements Comparator<T>, Serializable {
    @Override
    public int compare(T left, T right) {
      return String.valueOf(left).compareTo(String.valueOf(right));
    }
  }

                      public int compare(Entry<String, String> left, Entry<String, String> right) {
                        return ComparisonChain.start()
                            .compare(left.getKey(), right.getKey(), Ordering.natural().nullsFirst())
                            .compare(
                                left.getValue(), right.getValue(), Ordering.natural().nullsFirst())
                            .result();