A comprehensive isogeometric analysis of frictional Hertz contact problem

The development of computational methods has advanced the solving of complex contact problems. Despite this, reproducing the analytical solution of a classical Hertz contact problem using computational methods remains challenging. Finite element method (FEM) has gained popularity, with many studies solving frictionless Hertz contact problems. However, the more general Hertz contact problem with finite friction lacks an analytical solution and is more complex. FEM was first used for this in the 1970s. Recently, isogeometric analysis (IGA) has shown enhanced efficiency than FEM. However, comprehensive studies on the frictional Hertz contact problem using IGA are lacking. The present study aims to fill this gap by examining a benchmark example and exploring contact simulation parameters using the developed in-house MATLAB (R) (R) code.