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#include <iostream>
#include <vector>
#include <deque>
#include <list>
#include <set>
#include <map>
#include <string>
#include <algorithm>
#include <iterator>
#include <functional>
#include <numeric>

/* PRINT_ELEMENTS()
* - prints optional C-string optcstr followed by
* - all elements of the collection coll
* - separated by spaces
*/
template <class T>
inline void PRINT_ELEMENTS (const T& coll, const char* optcstr="")
{
    typename T::const_iterator pos;

    std::cout << optcstr;
    for (pos=coll.begin(); pos!=coll.end(); ++pos) {
        std::cout << *pos << ' ';
    }
    std::cout << std::endl;
}

/* INSERT_ELEMENTS (collection, first, last)
* - fill values from first to last into the collection
* - NOTE: NO half-open range
*/
template <class T>
inline void INSERT_ELEMENTS (T& coll, int first, int last)
{
    for (int i=first; i<=last; ++i) {
        coll.insert(coll.end(),i);
    }
}

using namespace std;

int main()
{
    deque<int> coll;

    INSERT_ELEMENTS(coll,3,7);
    INSERT_ELEMENTS(coll,2,6);
    INSERT_ELEMENTS(coll,1,5);
    PRINT_ELEMENTS(coll);

    // extract the four lowest elements
    nth_element (coll.begin(),     // beginning of range
                 coll.begin()+3,   // element that should be sorted correctly
                 coll.end());      // end of range

    // print them
    cout << "the four lowest elements are:  ";
    copy (coll.begin(), coll.begin()+4,
          ostream_iterator<int>(cout," "));
    cout << endl;

}