Existence and Uniqueness of Solution for Linear Complementarity Problem in Contact Mechanics

TL;DR

This paper investigates conditions ensuring the existence and uniqueness of solutions for linear complementarity problems with positive semi-definite matrices, extending classical results and providing theoretical guarantees for practical applications.

Contribution

It offers a rigorous proof of solution uniqueness for certain semi-definite matrices and develops a generalized framework applicable to broader LCP classes.

Findings

Proved existence and uniqueness of solutions for specific semi-definite matrices

Extended classical LCP results to broader matrix classes

Provided theoretical guarantees for practical contact mechanics problems

Abstract

Although a unique solution is guaranteed in the Linear complementarity problem (LCP) when the matrix $\mathbf{M}$ is positive definite, practical applications often involve cases where $\mathbf{M}$ is only positive semi-definite, leading to multiple possible solutions. However, empirical observations suggest that uniqueness can still emerge under certain structural conditions on the matrix $\mathbf{M}$ and vector $\mathbf{q}$. Motivated by an unresolved problem in nonlinear modeling for beam contact in directional drilling, this paper systematically investigates conditions under which a unique solution exists for LCPs with certain positive semi-definite matrices $\mathbf{M}$. We provide a rigorous proof demonstrating the existence and uniqueness of the solution for this specific case and extend our findings to establish a generalized framework applicable to broader classes of LCPs. This framework enhances the understanding of LCP uniqueness conditions and provides theoretical guarantees for solving real-world problems where positive semi-definite matrices $\mathbf{M}$ arise.