Speed test of answers in http://stackoverflow.com/questions/13840379/python-multiply-all-items-in-a-list-together

result.txt

$ inxi
CPU~Quad core AMD Athlon X4 750K (-MCP-) speed/max~1400/3400 MHz Kernel~4.4.0-24-generic x86_64 Up~9:05 Mem~2784.2/7927.0MB HDD~3000.6GB(19.5% used) Procs~215 Client~Shell inxi~2.2.35  
$ python test.py
Average:
      For loop: 0.000379131793976
      Operator: 0.000367625951767
      Lambda 1: 0.000438968896866
      Lambda 2: 0.000436615228653
      Numpy array 1: 5.86407184601e-05
      Numpy array 2: 5.91254234314e-06
      Numpy list: 6.16874694824e-05
Best:
      For loop: 0.000356912612915, 0.000357151031494, 0.000357151031494, 0.000357866287231, 0.000358819961548
      Operator: 0.000349044799805, 0.000349044799805, 0.000349998474121, 0.000349998474121, 0.000349998474121
      Lambda1: 0.000415802001953, 0.000415802001953, 0.000416040420532, 0.000416040420532, 0.000416994094849
      Lambda2: 0.00041389465332, 0.000414848327637, 0.000414848327637, 0.000415086746216, 0.000415086746216
      Numpy array 1: 0.000125885009766, 5.48362731934e-05, 5.48362731934e-05, 5.48362731934e-05, 5.50746917725e-05
      Numpy array 2: 1.00135803223e-05, 1.19209289551e-05, 1.19209289551e-05, 1.19209289551e-05, 1.28746032715e-05
      Numpy list: 5.88893890381e-05, 5.88893890381e-05, 5.88893890381e-05, 5.88893890381e-05, 5.88893890381e-05
Worst:
      For loop: 0.000576972961426, 0.000513076782227, 0.000487089157104, 0.00047492980957, 0.000442028045654
      Operator: 0.000602960586548, 0.000510215759277, 0.000471115112305, 0.000465154647827, 0.000458002090454
      Lambda1: 0.000913143157959, 0.000598907470703, 0.000557899475098, 0.000545978546143, 0.000531911849976
      Lambda2: 0.000600099563599, 0.000571012496948, 0.000563859939575, 0.000523090362549, 0.000523090362549
      Numpy array 1: 9.41753387451e-05, 9.3936920166e-05, 9.17911529541e-05, 9.10758972168e-05, 9.01222229004e-05
      Numpy array 2: 9.05990600586e-06, 9.05990600586e-06, 7.86781311035e-06, 7.86781311035e-06, 7.86781311035e-06
      Numpy list: 9.60826873779e-05, 8.79764556885e-05, 8.60691070557e-05, 8.29696655273e-05, 8.10623168945e-05

test.py

from timeit import default_timer as timer
import operator
import numpy

dataLen = 1000
testsNum = 1000


def forTest(data):
    '''http://stackoverflow.com/a/13843424/4079458'''
    result = 1
    for i in data:
        result *= i
    return result


def operatorTest(data):
    '''http://stackoverflow.com/a/13843424/4079458'''
    return reduce(operator.mul, data)


def lambda1Test(data):
    '''http://stackoverflow.com/a/13843424/4079458'''
    return reduce(lambda x, y: x * y, data)


def lambda2Test(data, func):
    '''Based on http://stackoverflow.com/a/13843424/4079458'''
    return reduce(func, data)


def numpyTest_npArray1(data):
    '''http://stackoverflow.com/a/13843424/4079458'''
    return numpy.prod(numpy.array(data))


def numpyTest_npArray2(npArray):
    '''Based on http://stackoverflow.com/a/13843424/4079458'''
    return numpy.prod(npArray)


def numpyTest_list(data):
    '''http://stackoverflow.com/questions/13840379/#comment62946675_32426539'''
    return numpy.prod(data)


def test(func, *args, **kwargs):
    start = timer()
    func(*args, **kwargs)
    end = timer()
    return end - start

forResults = []
operatorResults = []
lambda1Results = []
lambda2Results = []
numpyResults_npArray1 = []
numpyResults_npArray2 = []
numpyResults_list = []

data = range(1, dataLen + 1)
func = lambda x, y: x * y
npArray = numpy.array(data)
for i in xrange(1000):
    forResults.append(test(forTest, data))
    operatorResults.append(test(operatorTest, data))
    lambda1Results.append(test(lambda1Test, data))
    lambda2Results.append(test(lambda2Test, data, func))
    numpyResults_npArray1.append(test(numpyTest_npArray1, data))
    numpyResults_npArray2.append(test(numpyTest_npArray2, npArray))
    numpyResults_list.append(test(numpyTest_list, data))

print('''Average:
      For loop: {forLoop}
      Operator: {op}
      Lambda 1: {lmb1}
      Lambda 2: {lmb2}
      Numpy array 1: {npArr1}
      Numpy array 2: {npArr2}
      Numpy list: {npLst}'''.format(forLoop=sum(forResults) / len(forResults),
                                    op=sum(operatorResults) / len(operatorResults),
                                    lmb1=sum(lambda1Results) / len(lambda1Results),
                                    lmb2=sum(lambda2Results) / len(lambda2Results),
                                    npArr1=sum(numpyResults_npArray1) / len(numpyResults_npArray1),
                                    npArr2=sum(numpyResults_npArray2) / len(numpyResults_npArray2),
                                    npLst=sum(numpyResults_list) / len(numpyResults_list)))

forResults = map(str, forResults)
operatorResults = map(str, operatorResults)
lambda1Results = map(str, lambda1Results)
lambda2Results = map(str, lambda2Results)
numpyResults_npArray1 = map(str, numpyResults_npArray1)
numpyResults_npArray2 = map(str, numpyResults_npArray2)
numpyResults_list = map(str, numpyResults_list)

print('''Best:
      For loop: {forLoop}
      Operator: {op}
      Lambda1: {lmb1}
      Lambda2: {lmb2}
      Numpy array 1: {npArr1}
      Numpy array 2: {npArr2}
      Numpy list: {npLst}'''.format(forLoop=', '.join(sorted(forResults)[:5]),
                                    op=', '.join(sorted(operatorResults)[:5]),
                                    lmb1=', '.join(sorted(lambda1Results)[:5]),
                                    lmb2=', '.join(sorted(lambda2Results)[:5]),
                                    npArr1=', '.join(sorted(numpyResults_npArray1)[:5]),
                                    npArr2=', '.join(sorted(numpyResults_npArray2)[:5]),
                                    npLst=', '.join(sorted(numpyResults_list)[:5])))
print('''Worst:
      For loop: {forLoop}
      Operator: {op}
      Lambda1: {lmb1}
      Lambda2: {lmb2}
      Numpy array 1: {npArr1}
      Numpy array 2: {npArr2}
      Numpy list: {npLst}'''.format(forLoop=', '.join(reversed(sorted(forResults)[-5:])),
                                    op=', '.join(reversed(sorted(operatorResults)[-5:])),
                                    lmb1=', '.join(reversed(sorted(lambda1Results)[-5:])),
                                    lmb2=', '.join(reversed(sorted(lambda2Results)[-5:])),
                                    npArr1=', '.join(reversed(sorted(numpyResults_npArray1)[-5:])),
                                    npArr2=', '.join(reversed(sorted(numpyResults_npArray2)[-5:])),
                                    npLst=', '.join(reversed(sorted(numpyResults_list)[-5:]))))