creating a loop for optimization

How can i create a loop that decreases all the values in a vector until a limit. i want find the optimal weight of a frame by decreasing the size of the metal until it breaks at a maximum force and there are 14 of them

[Walter Roberson]

In any given step, how much should the values be decreased?

[Tomiwa Sanniowo]

by 0.0001 the minimum value is 0.0001mm and the maximum value is 0.001mm

[Walter Roberson]

Do I understand correctly that you have 14 parameters that you wish to alter systematically? So if for example each of the 14 parameters has 10 different states, you would like to try a total of 10^14 different combinations of parameters?

[Tomiwa Sanniowo]

Yeah

[Walter Roberson]

That would be more than 2^46 different possibilities. If you could process 5*10^7 possibilities per second (10^9 would not be realistic, 10^8 seems unlikely) then you would need 2*10^5 seconds, which would be more than 55 hours of computation. It would not surprise me at all of you cannot realistically get more than 10^6 computations per second using this approach, so I think several weeks of computation is more likely.

Are you certain this is wise considering the alteratives?

For example have you considered the possibility of using a minimizer program in which the quantity being optimized is the weight of the frame, and "breaking" is expressed through a nonlinear constraint?