Do you know, or how can you determine the stack size that each implementation uses? It may just be a matter of allocation here that is making Java look so inefficient.

My point (which is off topic with regards to garbage collection because I also agree with the others posts that gc is not an issue here) is to either set the stack size specifically (if possible) or to find the currently used stack size and compute that into the efficiency evaluation. After you factor stack size, then see what the results are. It will not be apples to apples, but not as bad as apples to horses... maybe like apples to ponies.

I now must apologize for offering a solution, but not leaving directions on how to carry out my hypothesis. I do not know how to see or manage stack size in Java or Perl. I like to bring up a lot of possibilities but not work through the evaluation... sounds like my professors in college.

the_Don
...making offers others can't rufuse.