The elasto‐plastic indentation of a half‐space by a rigid sphere

Using the finite element method, a detailed study of the deformations and stresses produced in an elastic-perfectly plastic half-space indented by a rigid sphere was done. The analysis covers the transition region from the maximum elastic contact load to a state where this load has been increased one hundredfold. Experimental results available in the literature are in good agreement with the analysis. In solving repeatedly the large number of linear equations involved in the solution of the problem, it was found profitable, in order to save computer time, to modify the direct elimination method. This technique is described in some details in the paper.