# Basic Comparison of Python, Julia, Matlab, IDL and Java (2018 Edition)

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/basic-comparison-of-python-julia-matlab-idl-and-java-2018-edition/26030>\
**Category:** Community\
**Created:** [July 5, 2019, 2:54am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/basic-comparison-of-python-julia-matlab-idl-and-java-2018-edition/26030 "2019-07-05T02:54:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![affans](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/affans/32/11911_2.png) [@affans](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/affans)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 2:54am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/basic-comparison-of-python-julia-matlab-idl-and-java-2018-edition/26030/1 "2019-07-05T02:54:21Z")

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I know it’s old, but the results are pretty good. I wonder how v1.0+ compares.

[https://modelingguru.nasa.gov/docs/DOC-2676](https://modelingguru.nasa.gov/docs/DOC-2676)

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**Author:** ![Tamas\_Papp](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/tamas_papp/32/25949_2.png) [@Tamas\_Papp](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Tamas_Papp)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 5:39am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/basic-comparison-of-python-julia-matlab-idl-and-java-2018-edition/26030/2 "2019-07-05T05:39:42Z")

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> [@affans](#):
>
> the results are pretty good

The timing setup is not very clear, but I am under the impression that it includes compilation time.

If that is the case, I am not sure I would consider this comparison useful; running a single Fibonacci calculation per process may not be a common use case.

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**Author:** ![oheil](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/oheil/32/220745_2.png) [@oheil](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/oheil)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 9:36am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/basic-comparison-of-python-julia-matlab-idl-and-java-2018-edition/26030/3 "2019-07-05T09:36:34Z")

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The report seems to be a little bit messy, e.g.  
Problem 1: Fibonacci Number

```julia
Language	Option	n=25	n=35	n=45
R 0.034	0.034	0.034

```

The same for the recursive version with 0.008  
Why is that?  
The source code does not contain the R code! 🤔

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**Author:** ![yakir12](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/yakir12/32/297_2.png) [@yakir12](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/yakir12)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 9:40am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/basic-comparison-of-python-julia-matlab-idl-and-java-2018-edition/26030/4 "2019-07-05T09:40:44Z")

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It would be so cool if there was a package that:

1. checks which languages are locally available
2. run a set of tests on those languages
3. submits the results with all the other hardware stats to some repo
4. and then some stats can get compiled on all the uploaded results.

Since this is something all the involved languages would be equally interested in, a joint effort might make most sense?

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**Author:** ![Tamas\_Papp](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/tamas_papp/32/25949_2.png) [@Tamas\_Papp](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Tamas_Papp)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 10:49am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/basic-comparison-of-python-julia-matlab-idl-and-java-2018-edition/26030/5 "2019-07-05T10:49:29Z")

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> [@yakir12](#):
>
> Since this is something all the involved languages would be equally interested in, a joint effort might make most sense?

How would this be different from eg

> **[Which programming language is fastest? (Benchmarks Game)](https://benchmarksgame-team.pages.debian.net/benchmarksgame/)**
>
> Performance measurements and comparisons of computer programs for different programming language implementations.

?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![yakir12](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/yakir12/32/297_2.png) [@yakir12](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/yakir12)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 10:51am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/basic-comparison-of-python-julia-matlab-idl-and-java-2018-edition/26030/6 "2019-07-05T10:51:08Z")

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No idea, didn’t know about that. Cool!

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**Author:** ![yakir12](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/yakir12/32/297_2.png) [@yakir12](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/yakir12)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 11:22am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/basic-comparison-of-python-julia-matlab-idl-and-java-2018-edition/26030/7 "2019-07-05T11:22:35Z")

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> [@Tamas\_Papp](#):
>
> [Which programming language is fastest? (Benchmarks Game)](https://benchmarksgame-team.pages.debian.net/benchmarksgame/)

Really good points. Thank you.

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**Author:** ![affans](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/affans/32/11911_2.png) [@affans](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/affans)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 12:48pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/basic-comparison-of-python-julia-matlab-idl-and-java-2018-edition/26030/8 "2019-07-05T12:48:50Z")

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I am guessing that R is probably using a pre-computed table.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![oheil](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/oheil/32/220745_2.png) [@oheil](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/oheil)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2019, 12:49pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/basic-comparison-of-python-julia-matlab-idl-and-java-2018-edition/26030/9 "2019-07-05T12:49:37Z")

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Probably, but using this in a benchmark? Questionable! 😉