Non-Obfuscated Python Mandelbrot Set Generator.

import time
import struct

DEPTH = 255

mandel_lambda = lambda V, B, c: c and mandel_lambda(V*V + B, B, c - 1) if (abs(V) < 6) else (2 + c- 4*abs(V)**-0.4) / DEPTH

def mandel_recursive(V, B, c):
    if c == 0:
        return 0

    if abs(V) < 6:
        return mandel_recursive(V**2 + B, B, c-1)
    else:
        return (2 + c- 4*abs(V)**-0.4) / DEPTH

def mandel(z0, c, itr):
    z = z0
    for i in range(DEPTH - 1, -1, -1):
        z = (z**2) + c
        if abs(z) > 6:
            return (2 + i - 4 *abs(z)**-0.4) / DEPTH

    return 0

def get_colour(total):
    r = (total * 80) + ((total**9) * DEPTH) - (950 * (total**99))
    g = (total * 70) - (880 * (total**18)) + (701 * (total**9))
    b = total * (DEPTH**(1 - (total**45) * 2))
    return r, g, b

v, x = 1500, 1000;

# For information regarding the BMP format, see:
# http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMP_file_format

if __name__ == '__main__':
    tests = [(mandel, 'mandelbrot_basic'),
             (mandel_recursive, 'mandelbrot_recursive'),
             (mandel_lambda, 'mandelbrot_lambda'),
            ]

    for func, name in tests:
        fname = '%s.bmp' % name
        print "Writing %dx%d image to: %s" % (v, x, fname)
        start = time.time()
        with open(fname, 'wb') as fp:
            fmt = '<QIIHHHH'  # little-endian: unsigned long long, unsigned int (2), unsigned short (4)
            fp.write('BM' + struct.pack(fmt,            # 'BM' == Windows bitmap identifier
                                       v * x * 3 + 26,  # unsigned long long record size (+4 reserved bytes)
                                       26, 12,          # unsigned int(starting offset)
                                       v, x,            # unsigned short(width, height)
                                       1, 24))          # unsigned short(planes, bits per pixel)
            for X in range(v * x):
                total = 0
                for A in range(9):
                    row = X % v
                    off = (A % 3) / 3.0
                    real = off + row
                    imag = (X/v + off - x/2) / 1j
                    c = ((real + imag) * (2.5 / x)) - 2.7
                    esc = func(0, c, DEPTH)
                    total += esc**2
                colour = get_colour(total / 9)
                fp.write(struct.pack('BBB', *colour))
        print "Done. %0.3f seconds." % (time.time() - start)

# Results on a Intel Core2 6400 @ 2.13 GHz:
#
# pypy-1.6.0
# Writing 1500x1000 image to: mandelbrot_basic.bmp
# Done. 160.632 seconds.
# Writing 1500x1000 image to: mandelbrot_recursive.bmp
# Done. 188.082 seconds.
# Writing 1500x1000 image to: mandelbrot_lambda.bmp
# Done. 132.598 seconds.
#
# python-2.6.5
# Writing 1500x1000 image to: mandelbrot_basic.bmp
# Done. 513.069 seconds.
# Writing 1500x1000 image to: mandelbrot_recursive.bmp
# Done. 661.153 seconds.
# Writing 1500x1000 image to: mandelbrot_lambda.bmp
# Done. 572.474 seconds.
#
# Don't take these numbers too seriously.