Survival probability of nonlinear oscillators endowed with fractional derivative element and subjected to evolutionary excitation: A stochastic averaging treatment with path integral concepts

Abstract

An analytical method for determining stochastic response and survival probability of nonlinear oscillators endowed with fractional element and subjected to evolutionary excitation is developed in this paper. This is achieved by the variational formulation of the recently developed analytical Wiener path integral (WPI) technique. Specifically, the stochastic average/linearization treatment of the fractional-order non-linear equation of motion yields an equivalent linear time-varying substitute with integer-order derivative. Next, relying on the path integral technique, a closed-form analytical approximation of the response joint transition probability density function (PDF) for small intervals is obtained. Further, a combination of the derived joint transition PDF and the discrete version of Chapman–Kolmogorov (C–K) equation, leads to analytical solution of the non-stationary response and survival probability of non-linear oscillator under the evolutionary excitation. Finally, pertinent numerical examples, including a hardening Duffing and a bi-linear hysteretic oscillator, are considered to demonstrate the reliability of the proposed technique.