Lua versus Java fastest performance Always look at the source code. If the fastest programs are hand-written vector instructions, does the host language matter? You might be more interested in the less optimised programs — more seconds, less gz source code. fannkuch-redux source secs mem gz cpu secs Java #3 40.76 42,844 1264 40.83 Java 10.98 42,812 1289 43.36 Java #2 44.03 40,916 520 44.09 Lua 601.99 19,664 469 601.97 n-body source secs mem gz cpu secs Java #5 6.78 41,384 1435 6.82 Java #4 6.87 41,188 1495 6.91 Java #2 7.42 41,308 1430 7.46 Java #3 7.47 41,256 1436 7.51 Java 7.85 41,512 1437 7.89 Lua #4 227.77 19,672 1312 227.76 Lua #2 239.26 19,672 1200 239.25 Lua 267.17 19,672 1207 267.16 spectral-norm source secs mem gz cpu secs Java #3 1.66 42,924 762 6.21 Java 7.07 42,268 521 7.13 Java #2 2.40 42,164 956 9.25 Lua 78.53 19,672 335 78.53 mandelbrot source secs mem gz cpu secs Java #4 4.45 104,488 667 16.20 Java #2 4.13 83,152 802 16.22 Java #6 4.28 83,056 808 16.84 Java 25.70 41,388 671 25.76 Java #3 7.86 83,424 910 30.96 Lua #3 343.95 19,672 364 343.94 Lua 344.46 19,672 365 344.43 Lua #2 375.98 19,672 373 375.96 Lua #6 113.21 282,112 630 398.58 pidigits source secs mem gz cpu secs Java #3 0.93 40,860 770 0.96 Java #2 1.34 44,524 944 1.42 Java 7.61 486,236 807 8.69 Lua #7 Failed Lua #5 Failed Lua Failed regex-redux source secs mem gz cpu secs Java 8.38 666,804 875 16.42 Java #3 5.17 671,372 935 17.04 Java #6 5.57 1,234,928 746 17.17 Lua Failed fasta source secs mem gz cpu secs Java #4 3.15 42,784 1528 3.26 Java #6 1.18 48,408 2549 3.71 Java #5 1.24 48,752 2478 3.81 Java #2 4.35 47,184 1259 4.50 Lua #2 24.01 19,672 1065 24.01 Lua #3 24.02 19,672 1065 24.02 k-nucleotide source secs mem gz cpu secs Java 5.01 368,104 1821 16.33 Java #6 7.18 365,592 1614 25.01 Java #3 7.30 365,348 1642 25.39 Java #4 34.43 195,584 1887 34.79 Java #5 16.05 219,872 2225 38.17 Lua #2 97.75 596,472 620 97.73 reverse-complement source secs mem gz cpu secs Java #6 3.33 2,031,460 760 3.96 Java #5 4.73 1,096,344 1115 4.86 Java #4 5.57 1,889,928 656 5.68 Java #7 23.06 1,036,296 1654 6.31 Lua #2 40.39 2,654,604 560 40.39 Lua #5 41.27 2,169,636 725 41.26 Lua #4 49.05 1,030,016 600 49.04 Java #3 Bad Output Java #8 Bad Output binary-trees source secs mem gz cpu secs Java #4 4.50 2,081,744 846 5.22 Java #3 4.80 2,076,860 546 5.59 Java #6 4.84 2,097,072 535 5.60 Java #2 4.93 2,067,656 558 5.67 Java #7 2.57 1,728,452 841 8.00 Lua #2 143.45 956,672 418 143.42 Lua #3 82.25 809,984 690 164.04 Lua #4 47.92 956,672 670 178.17 Lua Lua 5.4.6 Copyright (C) 1994-2023 Lua.org, PUC-Rio Java java 22 2024-03-19 Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 22+36-2370, mixed mode, sharing) all Lua programs & measurements all Java programs & measurements