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by anyfoo 612 days ago
Choosing the right algorithm effectively means optimizing runtime complexity. Then, once runtime complexity is fixed with the right algorithm, you're still left with a lot of constant factors that O-notation deliberately ignores (it's only about growth of the runtime). Sometimes, optimizing those constant factors can be significant, and then the choice of language matters. And even some details about the CPU you are targeting, and overall system architecture.
1 comments

Often languages like Javascript and Python don't allow optimal runtime complexity, because the types baked in to external interfaces fundamentally disallow the desired operation. And these languages are too slow to rewrite the core logic in the language itself.

(but of course, the vast majority of the code, even in widely used tools, isn't properly designed for optimization in the first place)

I only dabble in javascript, but `tsc` is abominable.