Mandelbrot and Pi

gistfile1.txt

#!/usr/bin/ruby
# Calculates Mandelbrot equation for point (-0.75, x) where x -> 0
# Amazingly the resulting iterations approximate pi

def mandel_iter (xp, yp, max)
  x = y = 0.0
  n = 0
  while ((x*x + y*y) <= 4 and n < max) do
    x , y , n = x*x - y*y + xp , 2*x*y + yp, n + 1
  end
  n
end

(0..7).each do |i|
  t = Time.now
  puts "#{10**(-i)}, #{mandel_iter(-0.75, 10**(-i), 10**10)}, #{Time.now - t}"
end