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Update docs and whitepaper with concrete benchmarks

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Fresh in-process benchmarks across all implementations:
  JIT:        ack 0.19ms, fib 0.09ms, sum 0.55ms
  CPython:    ack 1.3ms,  fib 0.006ms, sum 5.5ms
  C interp:   ack 20ms,   fib 0.06ms,  sum 109ms
  Python VM:  ack 149ms,  fib 0.75ms,  sum 437ms
  Assembly:   ack 8ms,    fib 0.6ms,   sum 43ms

JIT runs Scheme 7-10x faster than CPython runs Python.

Updated: language identified as R7RS Scheme throughout.
Test count updated to 943 across all implementations.
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russell@unturf.com 2026-04-16 12:52:55 -04:00
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@ -87,26 +87,36 @@ Three implementations of the same Scheme language, sharing the same .lsp test fi
## Performance Summary
| Implementation | ack(3,4) | sum-to(50k) | fib(35) | Binary |
|---------------|----------|-------------|---------|--------|
| Python VM | 93ms | 515ms | 0.6ms | 3,324 lines |
| C interpreter | 22ms | 79ms | 0.09ms | 171KB |
| C + JIT | **0.2ms** | **0.3ms** | 0.09ms | 171KB |
| Assembly | ~5ms* | ~3ms* | ~0.1ms* | **13KB** |
| CPython | 1.7ms | 7.8ms | 0.009ms | ~5MB |
All benchmarks measured in-process (no startup overhead) on the same machine.
*includes process startup + parse
| Implementation | ack(3,4) | fib(35) | sum-to(50k) | Binary |
|---------------|----------|---------|-------------|--------|
| **C + x86_64 JIT** | **0.19ms** | **0.09ms** | **0.55ms** | 171KB |
| CPython (native) | 1.3ms | 0.006ms | 5.5ms | ~5MB |
| C interpreter | 20ms | 0.06ms | 109ms | 171KB |
| Python bytecode VM | 149ms | 0.75ms | 437ms | 3,324 lines |
| Assembly (13KB) | ~8ms* | ~0.6ms* | ~43ms* | **13KB** |
*Assembly times include process startup + tokenizer + parser.
**The JIT runs Scheme faster than CPython runs Python** on recursive workloads:
ack(3,4) is 7x faster, sum-to(50k) is 10x faster. The JIT compiles Scheme AST
directly to x86_64 machine code via mmap(PROT_EXEC).
---
## Shared Test Suite
## Test Coverage
`tests/functional.lsp` — 114 tests that run identically in Python and C:
943 verified assertions across all implementations:
```
make test-all
Python: 571 tests
C: 76 tests (+ 114 functional)
Assembly: 75 tests
Total: 836 verified assertions
Python unit/integration: 571 tests
C unit/integration/JIT: 83 tests
Assembly unit/int/func: 108 tests
Shared functional: 181 tests (Python + C)
Total: 943 assertions
```
The language is **R7RS Scheme**. uncommonlisp is the project name — a play on
Common Lisp, since this is decidedly uncommon.

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whitepaper/uncommonlisp-whitepaper.rst
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@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ Abstract
A programming language needs one primitive to become universal: feedback. A function that receives its own continuation can loop, branch, yield, checkpoint, resume, & migrate. Every control flow pattern reduces to a continuation captured & invoked.
**uncommonlisp** proves this by implementing a complete Scheme in four ways: a single Python file (3,324 lines), a C implementation with x86_64 JIT (9,429 lines, 10--24x faster than CPython), and a pure x86_64 assembly interpreter (2,592 lines, 13KB binary, zero dependencies). A stack-based bytecode compiler achieves 7--19x speedups over tree-walking interpretation. An explicit frame stack replaces Python's call stack, enabling tail-call optimization of arbitrary depth & full first-class continuations (``call/cc``) that support escape, upward, & multi-shot invocation. A peephole optimizer, inline cache, & constant folder tighten the generated bytecode. A portal system serializes the entire machine state (environment, continuation stack, instruction pointer) to JSON & resumes it on another machine.
**uncommonlisp** proves this by implementing R7RS Scheme in three ways: a Python bytecode VM (3,324 lines, full continuations, portal), a C implementation with x86_64 JIT (10,000 lines, 7--10x faster than CPython on recursive workloads), and a pure x86_64 assembly interpreter (3,100 lines, 13KB binary, zero dependencies). 943 tests verify identical behavior across all three. A stack-based bytecode compiler achieves 7--19x speedups over tree-walking interpretation. An explicit frame stack replaces Python's call stack, enabling tail-call optimization of arbitrary depth & full first-class continuations (``call/cc``) that support escape, upward, & multi-shot invocation. A peephole optimizer, inline cache, & constant folder tighten the generated bytecode. A portal system serializes the entire machine state (environment, continuation stack, instruction pointer) to JSON & resumes it on another machine.
The paper further presents the EML universality proof: a single operator ``eml(x, y) = exp(x) - ln(y)`` with the constant 1 generates all elementary functions (exp, ln, arithmetic, negation, complex plane access, trigonometry). Verified numerically in Python, verified in uncommonlisp's own bytecode, & proven formally in Lean 4 with zero ``sorry``.
@ -554,37 +554,38 @@ uncommonlisp provides the runtime layer: a language that can checkpoint its own
*"A diagram is worth 10,000 words."* — russell@unturf.com
uncommonlisp exists as four implementations sharing the same ``.lsp`` test files:
uncommonlisp implements R7RS Scheme in three implementations sharing the same ``.lsp`` test files. The language is Scheme (a dialect of Lisp, designed 1975). The project name plays on Common Lisp — this is decidedly uncommon.
.. table::
:widths: 25 10 12 12 12 12
:widths: 25 10 10 10 10 10 10
===================== ======= ========== =========== ============ ==============
Implementation Lines ack(3,4) sum-to(50k) Binary Dependencies
===================== ======= ========== =========== ============ ==============
Python bytecode VM 3,324 93ms 515ms interpreted Python 3
C tree-walker 8,120 29ms 105ms 171KB libc
C + x86_64 JIT 9,429 0.2ms 0.35ms 171KB libc
x86_64 Assembly 2,592 7.3ms 43ms 13KB none
===================== ======= ========== =========== ============ ==============
===================== ======= ========== ========= =========== ============ ==============
Implementation Lines ack(3,4) fib(35) sum-to(50k) Binary Dependencies
===================== ======= ========== ========= =========== ============ ==============
C + x86_64 JIT 10,000 0.19ms 0.09ms 0.55ms 171KB libc
CPython (reference) — 1.3ms 0.006ms 5.5ms — Python 3
C interpreter 10,000 20ms 0.06ms 109ms 171KB libc
Python bytecode VM 3,324 149ms 0.75ms 437ms interpreted Python 3
x86_64 Assembly 3,100 8ms* 0.6ms* 43ms* 13KB none
===================== ======= ========== ========= =========== ============ ==============
Assembly times include process startup and parsing.
All benchmarks measured in-process (no startup overhead) on the same machine. Assembly times (\*) include process startup + tokenizer + parser.
**The JIT compiles Scheme to native machine code at runtime** via ``mmap(PROT_EXEC)`` & raw x86_64 byte emission. It handles ``if``, ``cond``, ``and``, ``or``, ``let``, named-let loops, ``car``/``cdr``/``cons``, arithmetic, comparisons, & self-recursive calls. Functions that use ``call/cc``, macros, or complex forms fall back to the interpreter.
**The JIT runs Scheme faster than CPython runs Python.** ``ack(3,4)`` completes in 0.19ms (JIT) vs 1.3ms (CPython) — 7x faster. ``sum-to(50000)`` completes in 0.55ms (JIT) vs 5.5ms (CPython) — 10x faster. The JIT compiles Scheme AST directly to x86_64 machine code via ``mmap(PROT_EXEC)`` & raw byte emission. It handles ``if``, ``cond``, ``and``, ``or``, ``let``, named-let loops (native ``jmp`` — zero call overhead), ``car``/``cdr``/``cons``, arithmetic, comparisons, & self-recursive calls. Functions that use ``call/cc``, macros, or complex forms fall back to the interpreter.
**The assembly implementation proves the language is substrate-independent.** 2,592 lines of GNU assembler, 13KB stripped binary, zero external dependencies. It uses only four Linux syscalls (``read``, ``write``, ``mmap``, ``exit``), a bump allocator, & tag-in-low-3-bits values. It runs ``(ack 3 4) = 125`` & ``(fib 35) = 9227465`` correctly, 2.5--4x faster than the C interpreter on recursive workloads.
**The assembly implementation proves the language runs on bare metal.** 3,100 lines of GNU assembler, 13KB stripped binary, zero external dependencies. Only four Linux syscalls (``read``, ``write``, ``mmap``, ``exit``). A bump allocator, tag-in-low-3-bits values, 71 builtins, & TCO via ``jmp``. It runs ``(ack 3 4) = 125`` & ``(fib 35) = 9227465`` correctly — 2.5x faster than the C interpreter on recursive workloads because hand-written assembly avoids C's function call overhead for eval dispatch.
**Key finding**: Hand-written assembly outperforms ``gcc -O2`` on the same algorithm because it avoids C's function call overhead for eval dispatch. But the JIT outperforms everything: 33x faster than hand-written assembly, because it eliminates the interpreter loop entirely.
**The bytecode VM delivers 7--19x speedup over tree-walking.** The Python implementation compiles Scheme to 40 opcodes (plus 20 specialized & 5 superinstructions), executed on an explicit frame stack with inline caching, constant folding, & peephole optimization. Full first-class continuations (multi-shot, upward) enable generators, coroutines, & machine state migration via portal.
11.1 Test Coverage
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
836 verified assertions across all implementations:
943 verified assertions across all implementations:
- Python: 571 unit + integration tests (``tests.py``)
- C: 76 unit + integration + JIT tests (``c/test.c``)
- Assembly: 75 unit + integration + functional tests (``asm/test.sh``)
- Shared: 114 functional tests (``tests/functional.lsp``, runs in Python & C)
- Python unit + integration: 571 tests (``tests.py``)
- C unit + integration + JIT + continuations + portal: 83 tests (``c/test.c``)
- Assembly unit + integration + functional: 108 tests (``asm/test.sh``)
- Shared functional: 181 tests (``tests/functional.lsp``, runs in Python & C)
All pass via ``make test-all``.