Continuous Dependence Result for a Class of Evolutionary Variational-Hemivariational Inequalities with Application to a Dynamic Thermo-Viscoelastic Contact Problem

Abstract

In the present paper, we consider a mathematical model describing the dynamic Coulomb’s frictional contact between a thermo-viscoelastic body and a thermally conductive rigid foundation. We employ the nonlinear constitutive viscoelastic law with long-term memory and thermal effects. We describe some contact and thermal conditions with the Clarke subdifferential boundary conditions. We derive the weak formulation of the problem as a system coupling two variational-hemivariational inequalities. We provide results on the existence and uniqueness of a weak solution to the model by using recent results from the theory of variational-hemivariational inequalities. Finally, the continuous dependence of the solution on the data is derived by applying an abstract result that we demonstrate.