A function that implements a partial order --- defining relative position
between values but leaving some pairs incomparable (for example, subsets over
sets is a partial order in which {} precedes {x} and {y}, which are mutually
incomparable but both precede {x, y}). As with the rank ordering produced by
RankCompare, -1, 0, and 1 respectively mean "less than", "equivalent to",
and "greater than". NaN means "incomparable" --- the first value is not less,
equivalent, or greater than the second.
By using NaN for "incomparable", the normal equivalence for using
the return value in a comparison is preserved.
PartialCompare(left, right) >= 0 iff left is greater than or equivalent
to right in the partial ordering.
A function that implements a partial order --- defining relative position between values but leaving some pairs incomparable (for example, subsets over sets is a partial order in which {} precedes {x} and {y}, which are mutually incomparable but both precede {x, y}). As with the rank ordering produced by
RankCompare, -1, 0, and 1 respectively mean "less than", "equivalent to", and "greater than". NaN means "incomparable" --- the first value is not less, equivalent, or greater than the second.By using NaN for "incomparable", the normal equivalence for using the return value in a comparison is preserved.
PartialCompare(left, right) >= 0iffleftis greater than or equivalent torightin the partial ordering.