Comparison to Cython/Pyrex

It is certainly possible to write a solver in Cython or Pyrex. From the http://www.scipy.org/PerformancePython?highlight=%28performance%29 website you can find an example. One potential downside to Cython over the previous solutions is it requires the user to understand how NumPy arrays or Sage matrices are implemented so as to be able to access their internal data. In contrast the scipy, and ctypes examples only require the user to know C or Fortran and from their perspective the NumPy data magically gets passed to C or Fortran with no further thought from them. In order for pyrex to be competitive as a way to interactively write compiled code, the task of accessing the internal structure of NumPy arrays or Sage matrices needs to be hidden.