What about: 
{
    my ($end, $curr, $result);
    my $_factorial;
    $_factorial = sub {
        return $result if $curr > $end;
        $result *= $curr++;
        $_factorial->();
    };

    sub fact4 {
        ($end, $curr, $result) = (shift, 1, 1);
        $_factorial->();
    }
}

[download]

My benchmarking indicates that my version is 30% faster than the standard recursion and 6 times faster than goto. 

dragonchild:  4 wallclock secs ( 3.19 usr +  0.00 sys =  3.19 CPU) @ 1
+22695.46/s (n=392012)
   lexical:  3 wallclock secs ( 3.10 usr +  0.00 sys =  3.10 CPU) @ 21
+976.48/s (n=68215)
 recursion:  3 wallclock secs ( 3.08 usr +  0.00 sys =  3.08 CPU) @ 91
+202.59/s (n=281360)
  typeglob:  4 wallclock secs ( 3.14 usr +  0.00 sys =  3.14 CPU) @ 21
+142.77/s (n=66494)

[download]

------
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Then there are Damian modules.... *sigh* ... that's not about being less-lazy -- that's about being on some really good drugs -- you know, there is no spoon. - flyingmoose

In reply to Re: Why is goto &sub slow? by dragonchild
in thread Why is goto &sub slow? by Ovid

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