struct slice
{
    struct node *head;
    size_t size;
};

static void merge_down(struct linked_list *list,
    int (*cmp)(const void *, const void *), struct slice *top)
{
    struct node *right = top->head;
    size_t count = top->size;

    --top;

    struct node *left = top->head;
    top->size += count;

    // determine merged list's head
    if(cmp(left->data, right->data) <= 0)
    {
        top->head = left;
        left = left->next;
    }
    else
    {
        top->head = right;
        struct node *node = right;
        right = right->next;
        remove_node(node, list);
        insert_before(node, list, left);
        --count;
    }

    while(left != right && count)
    {
        if(cmp(left->data, right->data) <= 0)
            left = left->next;
        else
        {
            struct node *node = right;
            right = right->next;
            remove_node(node, list);
            insert_before(node, list, left);
            --count;
        }
    }
}

static void sort(struct linked_list *list,
    int (*cmp)(const void *, const void *))
{
    if(list->size < 2) return;

    struct slice stack[32];
    size_t top = -1;
    struct node *current = list->first;

    do
    {
        stack[++top] = (struct slice){ current, 1 };
        current = current->next;
        for(; top && stack[top-1].size <= stack[top].size; --top)
            merge_down(list, cmp, stack + top);
    } while(current);

    for(; top; --top)
        merge_down(list, cmp, stack + top);
}