Re: Matrix Multiplication

["E. Robert Tisdale" <edwin@netwood.net>]

William Dale wrote:

> I was challenged by one of my co-workers -
> a control and guidance type - not a real software engineer.
>
> His claim:
> "Fortran is faster doing floating point multiplication than Ada"
>
> I could not get any other specifications such as hardware,
> particular compiler, version, vendor, special math libraries
> or any other equivocations.  Just he claims the above in all cases.
>
> So could I get some help getting times
> for a Matrix inversion on a 50X50 floating point matrix in both languages.
> Anyone already done these types of tests?
> Any suggestions on special libraries that he may not know about
> to do such things in Ada. Obviously he has the Fortan side nailed.
>
> I know it is silly but this is the kind of FUD
> that gets thown around all the time.
> Either language could win - it depends on many of the above issues.

Performance, in general, has nothing to do with the programming language.
There may be considerable differences between optimizing compilers.
Fortran compilers are typically better at optimizing numerical codes
than other compilers because that is what Fortran programmers do.
Just get a copy of your co-workers Fortran source code
and convert it into an Ada program
then compile his code with the GNU Fortran compiler g77
and compile your code with the GNU Ada compiler gnat.
Both compilers should emit exactly the same code
unless you do something wrong.

Hope this helps,
E. Robert Tisdale <edwin@netwood.net>