Abstract
In this study, we consider a method for investigating the stochastic response of a nonlinear dynamical system affected by a random seismic process. We present the solution of the probability density of a single/multiple-degree of freedom (SDOF/MDOF) system with several statically stable equilibrium states and with possible jumps of the snap-through type. The system is a Hamiltonian system with weak damping excited by a system of non-stationary Gaussian white noise. The solution based on the Gibbs principle of the maximum entropy of probability could potentially be implemented in various branches of engineering. The search for the extreme of the Gibbs entropy functional is formulated as a constrained optimization problem. The secondary constraints follow from the Fokker-Planck equation (FPE) for the system considered or from the system of ordinary differential equations for the stochastic moments of the response derived from the relevant FPE. In terms of the application type, this strategy is most suitable for SDOF/MDOF systems containing polynomial type nonlinearities. Thus, the solution links up with the customary formulation of the finite elements discretization for strongly nonlinear continuous systems.