Simple program to test the performance of a concurrent language.

mike_check.erl

-module(mike_check).

% The performance of a concurrent language is predicated by three things: 
% 1) the context switching time, 
% 2) The message passing time,
% 3) and the time to create a process.” 
%   - Mike Williams


-export([start_and_time/1,start/1, do_it_all/2]).

start_and_time(HowMany)->
    {Microseconds, _} = timer:tc(?MODULE, start, [HowMany]),
    io:format("~nCompleted in ~p seconds (~p microseconds per process).~n", 
        [Microseconds/1000000, Microseconds/HowMany]).

start(HowMany) ->
    do_it_all(HowMany, self()).

do_it_all(0, FirstCallersPid) -> 
    FirstCallersPid ! yolo;
do_it_all(HowManyMore, FirstCallersPid) ->
    %% Create a child process
    ChildsPid = spawn(?MODULE, do_it_all, 
		              [HowManyMore-1, FirstCallersPid]), 

    %% Send a 'yolo' message to our child process
    ChildsPid ! yolo,

    %% Hang here until we receive a 'yolo' message (from our parent).
    receive yolo ->
        %% It's been a rich, full life...
        croak
    end.