Tremendous slowdown due to garbage collection

[Steve Holden]

[...]
> I would suggest to configure the default behaviour of the garbage
> collector in such a way that this squared complexity is avoided
> without requiring specific knowledge and intervention by the user. Not
> being an expert in these details I would like to ask the gurus how
> this could be done.
> I hope this should be at least technically possible, whether it is
> really desirable or important for a default installation of Python
> could then be discussed once the disadvantages of such a setting would
> be apparent.
> 
> Thanks a lot for your consideration, and best regards,
> Andreas
> 
I think the linguists of the world should write better automated 
translation systems. Not being an expert in these details I would like 
to ask the gurus how it could be done.

There are going to be pathological cases in any memory allocation 
scheme. The fact that you have apparently located one calls for you to 
change your approach, not for the finely-tuned well-conceived garbage 
collection scheme to be abandoned for your convenience.

If you had made a definite proposal that could have been evaluated you 
request would perhaps have seemed a little more approachable.

You might want to consider trying Jython, or IronPython, or PyPy, each 
of which comes with a different flavor of garbage collection, to see if 
one of the other approaches suits you better.

regards
  Steve
-- 
Steve Holden        +1 571 484 6266   +1 800 494 3119
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