在写这篇文章的时候，这是最快的工作解决方案(至少在我的机器上是这样)。它同时使用numpy和bitarray，并受到这个答案的primesfrom2to的启发。

import numpy as np
from bitarray import bitarray


def bit_primes(n):
    bit_sieve = bitarray(n // 3 + (n % 6 == 2))
    bit_sieve.setall(1)
    bit_sieve[0] = False

    for i in range(int(n ** 0.5) // 3 + 1):
        if bit_sieve[i]:
            k = 3 * i + 1 | 1
            bit_sieve[k * k // 3::2 * k] = False
            bit_sieve[(k * k + 4 * k - 2 * k * (i & 1)) // 3::2 * k] = False

    np_sieve = np.unpackbits(np.frombuffer(bit_sieve.tobytes(), dtype=np.uint8)).view(bool)
    return np.concatenate(((2, 3), ((3 * np.flatnonzero(np_sieve) + 1) | 1)))

下面是与素数from2to的比较，它之前被发现是unutbu比较中最快的解:

python3 -m timeit -s "import fast_primes" "fast_primes.bit_primes(1000000)"
200 loops, best of 5: 1.19 msec per loop

python3 -m timeit -s "import fast_primes" "fast_primes.primesfrom2to(1000000)"
200 loops, best of 5: 1.23 msec per loop

对于寻找100万以下的质数，bit_primes稍微快一些。 n值越大，差异就越大。在某些情况下，bit_primes的速度是原来的两倍多:

python3 -m timeit -s "import fast_primes" "fast_primes.bit_primes(500_000_000)"
1 loop, best of 5: 540 msec per loop

python3 -m timeit -s "import fast_primes" "fast_primes.primesfrom2to(500_000_000)"
1 loop, best of 5: 1.15 sec per loop

作为参考，以下是primesfrom2to I的最小修改版本(适用于Python 3):

def primesfrom2to(n):
    # https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2068372/fastest-way-to-list-all-primes-below-n-in-python/3035188#3035188
    """ Input n>=6, Returns a array of primes, 2 <= p < n"""
    sieve = np.ones(n // 3 + (n % 6 == 2), dtype=np.bool)
    sieve[0] = False
    for i in range(int(n ** 0.5) // 3 + 1):
        if sieve[i]:
            k = 3 * i + 1 | 1
            sieve[((k * k) // 3)::2 * k] = False
            sieve[(k * k + 4 * k - 2 * k * (i & 1)) // 3::2 * k] = False
    return np.r_[2, 3, ((3 * np.nonzero(sieve)[0] + 1) | 1)]

对于Python 3

def rwh_primes2(n):
    correction = (n%6>1)
    n = {0:n,1:n-1,2:n+4,3:n+3,4:n+2,5:n+1}[n%6]
    sieve = [True] * (n//3)
    sieve[0] = False
    for i in range(int(n**0.5)//3+1):
      if sieve[i]:
        k=3*i+1|1
        sieve[      ((k*k)//3)      ::2*k]=[False]*((n//6-(k*k)//6-1)//k+1)
        sieve[(k*k+4*k-2*k*(i&1))//3::2*k]=[False]*((n//6-(k*k+4*k-2*k*(i&1))//6-1)//k+1)
    return [2,3] + [3*i+1|1 for i in range(1,n//3-correction) if sieve[i]]

如果你可以控制N，列出所有质数的最快方法就是预先计算它们。认真对待。预计算是一种被忽视的优化方法。

这里有一个来自Python Cookbook的非常简洁的示例——该URL的最快版本是:

import itertools
def erat2( ):
    D = {  }
    yield 2
    for q in itertools.islice(itertools.count(3), 0, None, 2):
        p = D.pop(q, None)
        if p is None:
            D[q*q] = q
            yield q
        else:
            x = p + q
            while x in D or not (x&1):
                x += p
            D[x] = p

这就给出了

def get_primes_erat(n):
  return list(itertools.takewhile(lambda p: p<n, erat2()))

在shell提示符(正如我喜欢做的那样)中测量这段代码在pri.py中，我观察到:

$ python2.5 -mtimeit -s'import pri' 'pri.get_primes(1000000)'
10 loops, best of 3: 1.69 sec per loop
$ python2.5 -mtimeit -s'import pri' 'pri.get_primes_erat(1000000)'
10 loops, best of 3: 673 msec per loop

所以看起来食谱解决方案的速度是原来的两倍多。

在Pure Python中最快的质数筛分:

from itertools import compress

def half_sieve(n):
    """
    Returns a list of prime numbers less than `n`.
    """
    if n <= 2:
        return []
    sieve = bytearray([True]) * (n // 2)
    for i in range(3, int(n ** 0.5) + 1, 2):
        if sieve[i // 2]:
            sieve[i * i // 2::i] = bytearray((n - i * i - 1) // (2 * i) + 1)
    primes = list(compress(range(1, n, 2), sieve))
    primes[0] = 2
    return primes

我优化了埃拉托色尼筛子的速度和内存。

基准

from time import clock
import platform

def benchmark(iterations, limit):
    start = clock()
    for x in range(iterations):
        half_sieve(limit)
    end = clock() - start
    print(f'{end/iterations:.4f} seconds for primes < {limit}')

if __name__ == '__main__':
    print(platform.python_version())
    print(platform.platform())
    print(platform.processor())
    it = 10
    for pw in range(4, 9):
        benchmark(it, 10**pw)

输出

>>> 3.6.7
>>> Windows-10-10.0.17763-SP0
>>> Intel64 Family 6 Model 78 Stepping 3, GenuineIntel
>>> 0.0003 seconds for primes < 10000
>>> 0.0021 seconds for primes < 100000
>>> 0.0204 seconds for primes < 1000000
>>> 0.2389 seconds for primes < 10000000
>>> 2.6702 seconds for primes < 100000000

这是你和别人比较的方式。

# You have to list primes upto n
nums = xrange(2, n)
for i in range(2, 10):
    nums = filter(lambda s: s==i or s%i, nums)
print nums

这么简单……