linux-kernel - [PATCH 2/2] lib/list_sort: clarify comparison function requirements in sort

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Message-Id: <20241224163927.2558195-3-visitorckw@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Dec 2024 00:39:27 +0800
From: Kuan-Wei Chiu <visitorckw@...il.com>
To: akpm@...ux-foundation.org
Cc: jserv@...s.ncku.edu.tw,
	chuang@...nycu.edu.tw,
	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	Kuan-Wei Chiu <visitorckw@...il.com>
Subject: [PATCH 2/2] lib/list_sort: clarify comparison function requirements in sort_r()

Add a detailed explanation in the list_sort() kernel doc comment
specifying that the comparison function must satisfy antisymmetry and
transitivity. These properties are essential for the sorting algorithm
to produce correct results.

Issues have arisen in the past [1][2][3][4] where comparison functions
violated the transitivity property, causing sorting algorithms to fail
to correctly order elements. While these requirements may seem
straightforward, they are commonly misunderstood or overlooked, leading
to bugs. Highlighting these properties in the documentation will help
prevent such mistakes in the future.

Link: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20240701205639.117194-1-visitorckw@gmail.com [1]
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20241203202228.1274403-1-visitorckw@gmail.com [2]
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20241209134226.1939163-1-visitorckw@gmail.com [3]
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/20241209145728.1975311-1-visitorckw@gmail.com [4]
Signed-off-by: Kuan-Wei Chiu <visitorckw@...il.com>
---
 lib/list_sort.c | 7 +++++++
 1 file changed, 7 insertions(+)

diff --git a/lib/list_sort.c b/lib/list_sort.c
index 8d3f623536fe..fa1bc5fe5a3d 100644
--- a/lib/list_sort.c
+++ b/lib/list_sort.c
@@ -108,6 +108,13 @@ static void merge_final(void *priv, list_cmp_func_t cmp, struct list_head *head,
  * and list_sort is a stable sort, so it is not necessary to distinguish
  * the @a < @b and @a == @b cases.
  *
+ * The comparison function must adhere to specific mathematical properties
+ * to ensure correct and stable sorting:
+ * - Antisymmetry: cmp(@a, @b) must return the opposite sign of
+ *   cmp(@b, @a).
+ * - Transitivity: if cmp(@a, @b) <= 0 and cmp(@b, @c) <= 0, then
+ *   cmp(@a, @c) <= 0.
+ *
  * This is compatible with two styles of @cmp function:
  * - The traditional style which returns <0 / =0 / >0, or
  * - Returning a boolean 0/1.
-- 
2.34.1