Lua versus Java fastest programs Always look at the source code. These are only the fastest programs. Look at the other programs. They may seem more-like a fair comparison to you. n-body source secs mem gz busy cpu load Lua 406.77 1,368 1305 412.06 0% 0% 1% 100% Java 21.93 35,408 1429 22.44 1% 0% 100% 1% k-nucleotide source secs mem gz busy cpu load Lua 189.90 521,716 613 191.07 1% 0% 99% 1% Java 9.33 447,976 1812 29.36 73% 83% 82% 77% fasta source secs mem gz busy cpu load Lua 51.34 3,056 1061 51.87 0% 0% 1% 100% Java 2.22 45,172 2473 5.99 61% 50% 98% 60% reverse-complement source secs mem gz busy cpu load Lua 77.65 2,932,848 553 77.85 26% 1% 4% 69% Java 3.16 712,368 2183 7.08 65% 47% 42% 70% mandelbrot source secs mem gz busy cpu load Lua 256.77 22,712 623 899.10 99% 86% 87% 78% Java 6.83 79,108 796 26.86 97% 99% 99% 99% spectral-norm source secs mem gz busy cpu load Lua 192.80 2,872 329 199.44 15% 85% 1% 2% Java 4.22 36,948 950 16.43 98% 97% 98% 96% binary-trees source secs mem gz busy cpu load Lua 468.44 2,358,616 412 477.98 1% 1% 100% 0% Java 8.32 953,620 835 28.37 95% 87% 81% 77% fannkuch-redux source secs mem gz busy cpu load Lua 1,317.39 1,340 462 1,339.50 0% 100% 1% 1% Java 14.33 34,888 1282 56.56 99% 98% 99% 98% regex-redux source secs mem gz busy cpu load Lua Bad Output Java 10.31 644,560 740 31.47 72% 72% 92% 70% pidigits source secs mem gz busy cpu load Lua Failed Java 3.07 39,320 938 3.31 2% 5% 3% 98% Lua Lua 5.3.5 Copyright (C) 1994-2018 Lua.org, PUC-Rio Java openjdk 13 2019-09-17 OpenJDK Runtime Environment (build 13+33) OpenJDK 64-Bit Server VM (build 13+33, mixed mode, sharing) all Lua programs & measurements all Java programs & measurements