Computational calculations such as Structural Relaxations rely on special numerical algorithms for solving iterative minimization and optimization problems. These algorithms are often of quasi-Newton 1 nature, a general class of methods used to either find zeroes (roots), or local maxima and minima, of functions.
Commonly-encountered quasi-Newton algorithmic methods in problems of relaxation and optimization of material structures are for example the Broyden Method 2, or the more advanced Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (BFGS) algorithm 3.