> my own Cython code has started to fail me performance-wise. I think this is an odd statement, seeing as how Cython allows you to write pure C code without ma

> my own Cython code has started to fail me performance-wise. I think this is an odd statement, seeing as how Cython allows you to write pure C code without making any use of the Python C API, so by definition Cython can be as efficient as C minus a single function call from Python to C. I think your benchmark is way too small to be interesting. You're only testing raw numerical performance, and of course C wins there. Any of these languages allow you to wrap a C library with more or less convenience. I think the more interesting questions are how well these languages allow you to build larger applications with performance-sensitive components, how extensive the ecosystem of libraries is, and the quality of debugging and profiling facilities.