module List where

-- stable sorting algorithm

sortBy :: (a -> a -> Ordering) -> [a] -> [a]
sortBy cmp = mergeAll . sequences
  where
    sequences (a:b:xs)
      | a `cmp` b == GT = descending b [a]  xs
      | otherwise       = ascending  b (a:) xs
    sequences xs = [xs]

    descending a as (b:bs)
      | a `cmp` b == GT = descending b (a:as) bs
    descending a as bs  = (a:as): sequences bs

    ascending a as (b:bs)
      | a `cmp` b /= GT = ascending b (\ys -> as (a:ys)) bs
    ascending a as bs   = as [a]: sequences bs

    mergeAll [x] = x
    mergeAll xs  = mergeAll (mergePairs xs)

    mergePairs (a:b:xs) = merge a b: mergePairs xs
    mergePairs xs       = xs

    merge as@(a:as') bs@(b:bs')
      | a `cmp` b == GT = b:merge as  bs'
      | otherwise       = a:merge as' bs
    merge [] bs         = bs
    merge as []         = as