A sequential sorting network analogous to the batcher merge

We present a network of delay log2 N, whose comparators have only log2 N different lengths with maximum length N/2. This network is log-sequential in that it will sort N data items when they are passed through it log2 Ntimes. The design, which is related to the Batcher odd-even merge, is distinctly different from the first known example of a log-delay log-sequential network, due to Dowd, Perl, Rudolf, and Saks. It is quite probably the best possible sorting network.