* class documentation above). This method is <i>generally expected</i>, but not absolutely
   * required, to have the following properties:
   *
   * <ul>
   *   <li>Its execution does not cause any observable side effects.
   *   <li>The computation is <i>consistent with equals</i>; that is, {@link Objects#equal
   *       Objects.equal}{@code (a, b)} implies that {@code predicate.apply(a) ==
   *       predicate.apply(b))}.

 *
 * <p>For instance, if <i>steps</i> is 5, one example sequence that will be tested is:
 *
 * <ol>
 *   <li>remove();
 *   <li>hasNext()
 *   <li>hasNext();
 *   <li>remove();
 *   <li>next();
 * </ol>
 *
 * <p>This particular order of operations may be unrealistic, and testing all 3^5 of them may be

  }

  /**
   * Verifies that a collection is immutable.
   *
   * <p>A collection is considered immutable if:
   *
   * <ol>
   *   <li>All its mutation methods result in UnsupportedOperationException, and do not change the
   *       underlying contents.
   *   <li>All methods that return objects that can indirectly mutate the collection throw
   *       UnsupportedOperationException when those mutators are called.
   * </ol>

   *
   * <ul>
   *   <li>{@code null} initial state, nothing has happened.
   *   <li>{@link Cancellation} terminal state, {@code cancel} was called.
   *   <li>{@link Failure} terminal state, {@code setException} was called.
   *   <li>{@link SetFuture} intermediate state, {@code setFuture} was called.
   *   <li>{@link #NULL} terminal state, {@code set(null)} was called.

  }

  /**
   * Returns a fresh instance for {@code type} if possible. The returned instance could be:
   *
   * <ul>
   *   <li>exactly of the given type, including generic type parameters, such as {@code
   *       ImmutableList<String>};
   *   <li>of the raw type;
   *   <li>null if no value can be generated.
   * </ul>
   */
  final @Nullable Object generateFresh(TypeToken<?> type) {

  /**
   * Determines whether two possibly-null objects are equal. Returns:
   *
   * <ul>
   *   <li>{@code true} if {@code a} and {@code b} are both null.
   *   <li>{@code true} if {@code a} and {@code b} are both non-null and they are equal according to
   *       {@link Object#equals(Object)}.
   *   <li>{@code false} in all other situations.
   * </ul>
   *

  /**
   * Determines whether two possibly-null objects are equal. Returns:
   *
   * <ul>
   *   <li>{@code true} if {@code a} and {@code b} are both null.
   *   <li>{@code true} if {@code a} and {@code b} are both non-null and they are equal according to
   *       {@link Object#equals(Object)}.
   *   <li>{@code false} in all other situations.
   * </ul>
   *

   *
   * <ol>
   *   <li>calls {@link ExecutorService#shutdown()}, disabling acceptance of new submitted tasks.
   *   <li>awaits executor service termination for half of the specified timeout.
   *   <li>if the timeout expires, it calls {@link ExecutorService#shutdownNow()}, cancelling
   *       pending tasks and interrupting running tasks.

 * actions taken by the java garbage collection system:
 *
 * <ul>
 *   <li>invoking the {@code finalize} methods of unreachable objects
 *   <li>clearing weak references to unreachable referents
 *   <li>enqueuing weak references to unreachable referents in their reference queue
 * </ul>
 *

 * Ordering}, including:
 *
 * <ul>
 *   <li>{@link #reverse}
 *   <li>{@link #compound(Comparator)}
 *   <li>{@link #onResultOf(Function)}
 *   <li>{@link #nullsFirst} / {@link #nullsLast}
 * </ul>
 *
 * <h4>Using</h4>
 *
 * <p>Finally, use the resulting {@code Ordering} anywhere a {@link Comparator} is required, or use
 * any of its special operations, such as:
 *
 * <ul>
 *   <li>{@link #immutableSortedCopy}