I'm attempting some Project Euler problems in an attempt to learn Python, and while I can get the correct answer quite easily, my programs are quite slow. Project Euler, if doing it correctly, specifies that each program should run in <1 minute. Some of mine take 5-10 mins.

Here is one example: http://projecteuler.net/problem=14

x=1;
terms=0;
maxTerms=0;
maxTermsNum=0;
for x in range(1,1000000):
    i=x;
    while (i!=1):
        terms+=1;
        if (i%2==0):
            i/=2
        else:
            i=3*i+1
    if (terms>maxTerms):
        maxTerms=terms;
        maxTermsNum=x;
        print(x);
    terms=0;
print("Biggest one: is %s." %maxTermsNum)

This is the program. It produces the correct answer, but it takes a long long time. How can I speed this up? Using Python, again, in 32bit Windows.

I'm attempting some Project Euler problems in an attempt to learn Python. While I can get the correct answer quite easily, my programs are quite slow. Project Euler, if doing it correctly, specifies that each program should run in <1 minute. Some of mine take 5-10 mins.

Here is one example.

x=1;
terms=0;
maxTerms=0;
maxTermsNum=0;
for x in range(1,1000000):
    i=x;
    while (i!=1):
        terms+=1;
        if (i%2==0):
            i/=2
        else:
            i=3*i+1
    if (terms>maxTerms):
        maxTerms=terms;
        maxTermsNum=x;
        print(x);
    terms=0;
print("Biggest one: is %s." %maxTermsNum)

It produces the correct answer, but it takes a long long time. How can I speed this up? This is also in 32-bit Windows.