Generic method works with different actual parameter

Question

Here I have a generic method which accepts a generic type parameter T

 public static <T> boolean compare(T p1, T p2) {
        return p1.equals(p2);
    }

now if I call this method like below

compare(10, "");

it works but as I assume it shouldn't work cause it can accept only one type of Type parameter, so how inference algorithm works here?

Answer 1

It works because Integer and String have common parent: Object and you do not specify any constraint in type T. If you write:

public static <T extends Number> boolean compare(T p1, T p2) {
    return p1.equals(p2);
}

you get compile time error.