#include <cassert>

#include <algorithm>
#include <iostream>
#include <set>
#include <vector>

// Do not call this method if you have a single set...
// And the pointers better not be null either!
std::vector<int> intersect(std::vector< std::set<int> const* > const& sets) {
    for (auto s: sets) { assert(s && "I said no null pointer"); }

    std::vector<int> result; // only return this one, for NRVO to kick in

    // 0. Check obvious cases
    if (sets.empty()) { return result; }

    if (sets.size() == 1) {
        result.assign(sets.front()->begin(), sets.front()->end());
        return result;
    }


    // 1. Merge first two sets in the result
    std::set_intersection(sets[0]->begin(), sets[0]->end(),
                          sets[1]->begin(), sets[1]->end(),
                          std::back_inserter(result));

    if (sets.size() == 2) { return result; }


    // 2. Merge consecutive sets with result into buffer, then swap them around
    //    so that the "result" is always in result at the end of the loop.

    std::vector<int> buffer; // outside the loop so that we reuse its memory

    for (size_t i = 2; i < sets.size(); ++i) {
        buffer.clear();

        std::set_intersection(result.begin(), result.end(),
                              sets[i]->begin(), sets[i]->end(),
                              std::back_inserter(buffer));

        swap(result, buffer);
    }

    return result;
}

int main() {
	std::set<int> x = {1, 2, 3};
	std::set<int> y = {1, 3, 4};
	
	auto result = intersect({&x, &y});
	
	std::cout << result.size() << ": " << result[0] << ", " << result[1] << "\n";
}