Optimize Python range object for small integers

[eendebakpt]

Feature or enhancement

The python range object contains code to compute the length from the start, stop and step values. This calculation is performed with PyLong objects which is expensive. We can add a fast path for the common case where start, stop and step all fit into a long value.

Pitch

Benchmark results are in the PR.

The range object itself is often converted to a range iterator. For the iterator object there already is a fast version (the the method fast_range_iter). A further optimization could be achieved by creating a specialized range object that can construct the fast range iterator without conversions to PyLong, but this is much more involved.

Linked PRs

• gh-100726: optimize construction of range object for medium sized integers #100727
• gh-100726: optimize construction of range object for medium sized integers (version 6) #100810

[mdickinson]

Closed in #100810