Prior knowledge informed neural network based on Basquin’s formula for predicting fatigue life

This study introduces a prior knowledge-informed neural network (PKiNN) for predicting material fatigue life. The prior knowledge module generates data adhering to S-N curve characteristics, while a pure data-driven module assesses factors like stress concentration from notches. By merging these outputs through a single-layer fully connected neural network, fatigue life predictions are obtained.

Experimental validation confirmed PKiNN’s superior extrapolation capabilities compared to traditional machine learning (ML) approaches. Moreover, PKiNN’s predictive performance is less dependent on specific training data set choices, distinguishing it from current informed ML methods. A variable in equivalent driving force model Hyperparameter in support vector machine, which represents the penalty coefficient Hyperparameter in support vector machine, characterizes the influence range of a single sample This research was supported by the Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi (Grant No. 2026JC-YXQN-025，2025JC-YBMS-508), the Stable Support Project of the National Key Laboratory of Solid Rocket Propulsion (Grant No.

National Key Laboratory of Solid Rocket Propulsion, Rocket Force University of Engineering, 710038, Xi’an, China Dexin Yang, Yanchao Wang, Jianfeng Guo & Yanjiao Li College of Launch and Power Engineering, Rocket Force University of Engineering, 710038, Xi’an, China School of Mechanical Engineering, Xinjiang University, 830000, Urumqi, China Inner Mongolia Power Machinery Research Institute, 010000, Hohhot, China The authors declare no competing interests. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material.

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To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/. Yang, D., Wang, Y., Guo, J. et al. Prior knowledge informed neural network based on Basquin’s formula for predicting fatigue life.

Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-76738-9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-76738-9