Fuzzy linear regression and its applications in fuzzy reliability analysis

Three advanced fuzzy linear regression (FLR) models with fuzzy input basic variables and fuzzy output response variables are proposed on the basis of the available Tanaka regression model. By use of the proposed models, the fuzzy characteristics of the basic variables are transferred to the response variables; these fuzzy characteristics are of interest in fuzzy reliability analysis. Thus, the fuzzy characteristics of the response variables in complicated structure/mechanism system can be obtained from those of the basic variables, and the fuzzy reliability analysis is significantly simplified for the structure/mechanism system. An example with implicit performance function is used to illustrate the feasibility and efficiency of the models.