Conditional operator and comparison delegate

Question

Given two implementations of comparison methods:

// compares by Key...
private static int CompareByKey(KeyValuePair<int, string> x, KeyValuePair<int, string> y)

{
    return x.Key.CompareTo(y.Key);
}

// compares by Value...
private static int CompareByValue(KeyValuePair<int, string> x, KeyValuePair<int, string> y)
{
    return x.Value.CompareTo(y.Value);
}

Why not compile the following block of conditional operator code:

Comparison<KeyValuePair<int, string>> sortMethod;
sortMethod = isSortByActualValue ? CompareByKey : CompareByValue;

Compiler Error: "The type of conditional expression cannot be determined because there is no implicit conversion between the" method group "and the" method group "

However, the equivalent code block using if-else has no problem:

Comparison<KeyValuePair<int, string>> sortMethod;
if (isSortByActualValue)
    sortMethod = CompareByKey;
else
    sortMethod = CompareByValue;

(all is good in both appointments above)

So is the conditional operator if I passed the comparison delegate:

Comparison<KeyValuePair<int, string>> sortMethod;
sortMethod = isSortByActualValue ? (Comparison<KeyValuePair<int, string>>) CompareByKey : CompareByValue;

(all is well in the task above when it is cast, although casting was only on the true part)

Answer 1

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Answer 2

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