[R] alternate rank method

[Martin Maechler]

>>>>> "Torsten" == Torsten Hothorn <Torsten.Hothorn at rzmail.uni-erlangen.de>
>>>>>     on Mon, 28 Jun 2004 10:59:26 +0200 (CEST) writes:

    Torsten> On Fri, 25 Jun 2004, Douglas Grove wrote:

    >> I should have specified an additional constraint:
    >> 
    >> I'm going to need to use this repeatedly on large vectors
    >> (length 10^6), so something efficient is needed.
    >> 

    Torsten> give function `irank' in package `exactRankTests' a
    Torsten> try.

As an answer to Torsten (who got it already orally) and Gabor's
original tricky suggestions:

I strongly believe this should happen in the same C code on
which R's base rank() function works and already implements the
*averaging* of ties.
Doing the analog of changing "average(..)" to min(..) or max(..)
shouldn't be hard and certainly will be more efficient than the
"workarounds" posted here.

Patches welcome...
since otherwise I'm not sure I'll get there in time.

Martin