Comparing the values of two generic Numbers

Question

I want to compare to variables, both of type T extends Number. Now I want to know which of the two variables is greater than the other or equal. Unfortunately I

Answer 1

What about this one? Definitely not nice, but it deals with all necessary cases mentioned.

public class SimpleNumberComparator implements Comparator
    {
        @Override
        public int compare(Number o1, Number o2)
        {
            if(o1 instanceof Short && o2 instanceof Short)
            {
                return ((Short) o1).compareTo((Short) o2);
            }
            else if(o1 instanceof Long && o2 instanceof Long)
            {
                return ((Long) o1).compareTo((Long) o2);
            }
            else if(o1 instanceof Integer && o2 instanceof Integer)
            {
                return ((Integer) o1).compareTo((Integer) o2);
            }
            else if(o1 instanceof Float && o2 instanceof Float)
            {
                return ((Float) o1).compareTo((Float) o2);
            }
            else if(o1 instanceof Double && o2 instanceof Double)
            {
                return ((Double) o1).compareTo((Double) o2);
            }
            else if(o1 instanceof Byte && o2 instanceof Byte)
            {
                return ((Byte) o1).compareTo((Byte) o2);
            }
            else if(o1 instanceof BigInteger && o2 instanceof BigInteger)
            {
                return ((BigInteger) o1).compareTo((BigInteger) o2);
            }
            else if(o1 instanceof BigDecimal && o2 instanceof BigDecimal)
            {
                return ((BigDecimal) o1).compareTo((BigDecimal) o2);
            }
            else
            {
                throw new RuntimeException("Ooopps!");
            }

        }

    }