This study deals with the existence and uniqueness of solutions to dynamical problems of finite freedom involving unilateral contact and Coulomb friction. In the frictionless case, it has been established [P. Ballard, Arch. Rational Mech. Anal. 154 (2000) 199–274] that the existence and uniqueness of a solution to the Cauchy problem can be proved under the assumption that the data are analytic, but not if they are assumed to be only of class C∞. Some years ago, this finding was extended [P. Ballard and S. Basseville, Math. Model. Numer. Anal. 39 (2005) 59–77] to the case where Coulomb friction is included in a model problem involving a single point particle. In the present paper, the existence and uniqueness of a solution to the Cauchy problem is proved in the case of a finite collection of particles in (possibly non-linear) interactions.

A simple dynamical problem involving unilateral contact and dry friction of Coulomb type is considered as an archetype. We are concerned with the existence and uniqueness of solutions of the system with Cauchy data. In the frictionless case, it is known [Schatzman, Nonlinear Anal. Theory, Methods Appl.2 (1978) 355–373] that pathologies of non-uniqueness can exist, even if all the data are of class C ∞. However, uniqueness is recovered provided that the data are analytic [Ballard, Arch. Rational Mech. Anal.154 (2000) 199–274]. Under this analyticity hypothesis, we prove theexistence and uniqueness of solutions for the dynamical problem with unilateral contact and Coulomb friction, extending [Ballard, Arch. Rational Mech. Anal.154 (2000) 199–274] to the case where Coulomb friction is added to unilateral contact.