Benchmark: Math.pow vs ** vs * for squares

Tests:

pow
var tmp = Math.pow(6, 2);
**
var tmp = 6 ** 2;
*
var tmp = 6 * 6;

Rendered benchmark preparation results:

Suite status: <idle, ready to run>

Previous results

Test case name	Result
pow
**
*

Fastest: N/A

Slowest: N/A

Latest run results:

No previous run results

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Autogenerated LLM Summary (model llama3.2:3b, generated one year ago):

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Let's break down the provided JSON data and explain what's being tested in the benchmark.

**Overview**

The test measures the performance difference between using `Math.pow()`, exponentiation operator (`**`), and multiplication (`*`) for calculating squares of numbers.

**Options compared**

The benchmark compares three options:

1. **Math.pow()**: A built-in JavaScript function that calculates the power of a number.
2. **Exponentiation operator (`**`)**: A new syntax introduced in ECMAScript 2016, which allows exponentiation using the `**` operator.
3. **Multiplication (`*`)**: A simple multiplication operation.

**Pros and cons**

Here's a brief summary of each option:

* **Math.pow()**:
	+ Pros: Portable across browsers, well-established syntax.
	+ Cons: May be slower due to its iterative nature.
* **Exponentiation operator (`**`)**:
	+ Pros: More concise and readable syntax, potentially faster execution.
	+ Cons: Limited support in older browsers (before ECMAScript 2016), may not be optimized for performance.
* **Multiplication (`*`)**:
	+ Pros: Simple, widely supported syntax.
	+ Cons: May lead to slower performance due to repeated multiplications.

In general, `Math.pow()` is a safe choice when portability and readability are essential. The exponentiation operator (`**`) offers a more concise alternative, while multiplication (`*`) may be faster but at the cost of readability.

**Library**

None of the test cases rely on external libraries. They only use built-in JavaScript functions or operators.

**Special JS features/syntax**

The benchmark uses the exponentiation operator (`**`), which is a relatively new syntax introduced in ECMAScript 2016. This allows for concise and readable exponentiation calculations.

**Other alternatives**

If you wanted to test alternative methods, you could consider using:

1. **Recursive function**: A custom recursive function for calculating squares.
2. **Big O notation**: Testing the performance of different algorithms with a time complexity analysis (e.g., O(n), O(log n)).
3. **Parallel execution**: Testing the performance benefits of executing multiple calculations simultaneously.

These alternatives would require additional modifications to the benchmark code and might not be as straightforward to implement as using built-in functions or operators.

Related benchmarks:

Math.pow vs ** vs * for squares (version: 0)

Comparing performance of: pow vs ** vs *

Created: 3 years ago by: Registered User

Jump to the latest result

pow

**

*

Suite status: <idle, ready to run>

Fastest: N/A

Slowest: N/A

No previous run results

Autogenerated LLM Summary (model llama3.2:3b, generated one year ago):