Abstract

Fuzzy initial value problems describing classical mechanical vibrations are the focus of this paper. In particular, this work considers systems described by nth-order linear ordinary differential equations whose initial conditions are uncertain and given by interactive fuzzy numbers. The concept of interactivity arises from the concept of joint possibility distribution (J). An approach based on the sup-J extension principle, which is a generalization of Zadeh's extension principle, is presented. This theory is applied to two major examples of oscillatory systems: the forced vibration of an uncoupled mass-spring-damper system and the free vibration of a coupled undamped mass-spring system. In both cases, we have that the solution via sup-J extension, where the fuzzy initial conditions are given by linearly correlated fuzzy numbers, is contained in the solution via Zadeh's extension.