Many-body simulations using an array processor

Simulations of microscopic models of water and polypeptides using molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo techniques have been carried out with the aid of an FPS array processor. The computational techniques are discussed, with emphasis on the development and optimization of the software to take account of the special features of the processor. The computing requirements of these simulations exceed what could be reasonably carried out on a normal 'scientific' computer. While the FPS processor is highly suited to the kinds of models described, several other computationally intensive problems in statistical mechanics are outlined for which alternative processor architectures are more appropriate.