A little while back I wrote about what I considered to be the four main kinds of optimisation: Use a better algorithm. Use a better data-structure. Use a lower-level system. Accept a less precise solution. In the same way that there are 10 “fifth Beatles”, I could have added many other kinds of optimisation, but I wanted to focus on what my experience has shown me to be the main contenders. In particular, I got a bit of pushback for “accept a less precise solution” but I think that the last 18 m...