Numerical analysis of doubly-history dependent variational inequalities in contact mechanics

Abstract

Abstract This paper is devoted to numerical analysis of doubly-history dependent variational inequalities in contact mechanics. A fully discrete method is introduced for the variational inequalities, in which the doubly-history dependent operator is approximated by repeated left endpoint rule and the spatial variable is approximated by the linear element method. An optimal order error estimate is derived under appropriate solution regularities, and numerical examples illustrate the convergence orders of the method.

Keywords

• Doubly-history dependent variational inequality
• Viscoelastic contact
• Finite element method
• Left endpoint rule
• Optimal order error estimate