* consistency, and because the return type conveys the immutability guarantee.
   *
   * <p><b>Performance note:</b> the instance returned is a singleton.
   */
  @SuppressWarnings({"unchecked"}) // fully variant implementation (never actually produces any Es)
  public static <E> ImmutableSet<E> of() {
    return (ImmutableSet<E>) RegularImmutableSet.EMPTY;
  }

  /**

import static com.google.common.math.StatsTesting.LARGE_INTEGER_VALUES_POPULATION_VARIANCE;
import static com.google.common.math.StatsTesting.LARGE_INTEGER_VALUES_STATS;
import static com.google.common.math.StatsTesting.LARGE_LONG_VALUES_MEAN;
import static com.google.common.math.StatsTesting.LARGE_LONG_VALUES_POPULATION_VARIANCE;
import static com.google.common.math.StatsTesting.LARGE_LONG_VALUES_STATS;

      if (values.hasAnyNonFinite()) {
        assertWithMessage("population variance of " + values).that(populationVariance).isNaN();
        assertWithMessage("population variance by addAll(Stats) of " + values)
            .that(populationVarianceByAddAllStats)
            .isNaN();
      } else {
        assertWithMessage("population variance of " + values)
            .that(populationVariance)
            .isWithin(ALLOWED_ERROR)

    }
  }

  /** Returns a serializable converter that always converts or reverses an object to itself. */
  @SuppressWarnings("unchecked") // implementation is "fully variant"
  public static <T> Converter<T, T> identity() {
    return (IdentityConverter<T>) IdentityConverter.INSTANCE;
  }

  /**
   * A converter that always converts or reverses an object to itself. Note that T is now a

      if (entry instanceof ImmutableEntry) {
        checkNotNull(entry.getKey());
        checkNotNull(entry.getValue());
        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked") // all supported methods are covariant
        Entry<K, V> immutableEntry = (Entry<K, V>) entry;
        entries.add(immutableEntry);
      } else {
        entries.add(entryOf((K) entry.getKey(), (V) entry.getValue()));
      }
      return this;

  protected Entry<K, V> entry(K key, V value) {
    return Helpers.mapEntry(key, value);
  }

  @Override
  protected void expectContents(Collection<Entry<K, V>> expected) {
    // TODO: move this to invariant checks once the appropriate hook exists?
    super.expectContents(expected);
    for (Entry<K, V> entry : expected) {
      assertEquals(

  }

  /**
   * Returns the empty immutable multiset.
   *
   * <p><b>Performance note:</b> the instance returned is a singleton.
   */
  @SuppressWarnings("unchecked") // all supported methods are covariant
  public static <E> ImmutableMultiset<E> of() {
    return (ImmutableMultiset<E>) RegularImmutableMultiset.EMPTY;
  }

  /**
   * Returns an immutable multiset containing a single element.
   *

    FluentIterable<? extends Number> numbers = getSomeNumbers();

    // Sadly, the following is what users will have to do in some circumstances.

    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked") // safe covariant cast
    Optional<Number> first = (Optional<Number>) numbers.first();
    Number value = first.or(0.5); // fine
  }

  @J2ktIncompatible
  @GwtIncompatible // NullPointerTester

   */
  public static <E> ImmutableList<E> copyOf(Collection<? extends E> elements) {
    if (elements instanceof ImmutableCollection) {
      @SuppressWarnings("unchecked") // all supported methods are covariant
      ImmutableList<E> list = ((ImmutableCollection<E>) elements).asList();
      return list.isPartialView() ? ImmutableList.<E>asImmutableList(list.toArray()) : list;
    }
    return construct(elements.toArray());

      Multiset<? extends E> multiset) {
    if (multiset instanceof UnmodifiableMultiset || multiset instanceof ImmutableMultiset) {
      @SuppressWarnings("unchecked") // Since it's unmodifiable, the covariant cast is safe
      Multiset<E> result = (Multiset<E>) multiset;
      return result;
    }
    return new UnmodifiableMultiset<>(checkNotNull(multiset));
  }

  /**
   * Simply returns its argument.