Numerical analysis of an evolutionary variational–hemivariational inequality with application to a dynamic contact problem

In this paper, we consider the numerical solution of an evolutionary variational–hemivariational inequality arising in a dynamic contact problem. The material is assumed to be viscoelastic with short memory. The contact is featured by a normal damped response in the normal direction and by the Tresca friction law in the tangential direction. The linear finite elements are used to discretize the spatial variable. Optimal order error estimates are derived for the discrete velocity and discrete displacement under suitable solution regularity assumptions.