Machine learning assisted state prediction of misspecified linear dynamical system via modal reduction

Machine learning assisted state prediction of misspecified linear dynamical system via modal reduction Rohan Vittal Thorat a, Rajdip Nayek a a Department of Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, 110016, IndiaAbstract Accurate prediction of structural dynamics is imperative for preserving digital twin fidelity throughout operational lifetimes. Parametric models with fixed nominal parameters often omit critical physical effects due to simplifications in geometry, material behavior, damping, or boundary conditions, resulting in model form errors (MFEs) that impair predictive accuracy. This work introduces a comprehensive framework for MFE estimation and correction in high-dimensional finite element (FE) based structural dynamical systems. The Gaussian Process Latent Force Model (GPLFM) represents discrepancies non-parametrically in the reduced modal domain, allowing a flexible data-driven characterization of unmodeled dynamics. A linear Bayesian filtering approach jointly estimates system states and discrepancies, incorporating epistemic and aleatoric uncertainties. To ensure computational tractability, the FE system is projected onto a reduced modal basis, and a mesh-invariant neural network maps modal states to discrepancy estimates, permitting model rectification across different FE dis-cretizations without retraining. Validation is undertaken across five MFE scenarios--including incorrect beam theory, damping misspecification, misspecified boundary condition, unmodeled material nonlinearity, and local damage --demonstrating the surrogate model's substantial reduction of displacement and rotation prediction errors under unseen excitations. The proposed methodology offers a potential means to uphold digital twin accuracy amid inherent modeling uncertainties. Keywords: Model bias, Gaussian Process, Latent Force Model, Bayesian filtering, Modal reduction, Digital twin 1. Introduction The reliable simulation of structural dynamical systems is central to engineering analysis, design, and decision-making. In practice, high-fidelity models are often impractical due to limited information, computational constraints, or simplifying assumptions in geometry, boundary conditions, damping mechanisms, and material constitutive laws. These idealizations lead to model form errors (MFEs)--systematic discrepancies between the predicted and actual system responses--which, if unaccounted for, can significantly degrade predictive accuracy. This challenge is especially critical in the context of digital twins, where model predictions directly inform monitoring and decision-making. Digital twins of structural systems integrate computational models with real-time or historical measurement data to enable continuous prediction, monitoring, and decision making [1, 2].