  In the late 80s and 90s, theoretical physicists of the Landau Institute for
Theoretical Physics designed and developed several specialized computers for
challenging computational problems in the physics of phase transitions. These
computers did not have a central processing unit. They optimize algorithms to
handle elementary operations on integers -- read, write, compare, and count.
The approach allowed them to achieve recording run times. Computers performed
calculations three orders of magnitude faster than similar calculations on the
world's best supercomputers. The approach made it possible to obtain
fundamentally new results, some of which have not yet been surpassed in the
accuracy of calculations. The report will present the main ideas for the
development of specialized computers and the scientific results obtained with
their help. The lessons of planning and execution of long-term complex
scientific projects will also be discussed.
