Although some approximate solutions to the elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) problem existed, no numerical calculation of the pressures and clearances under non-conformal contacts had been made. The problems were formidable: any iterative procedure tended rapidly to become unstable; without computers the calculations were lengthy and laborious. However, after 18 months of effort, four solutions were obtained and these laid the foundation for the development of the subject of EHL as a distinct field of study. While computer-based solutions are now available for virtually every type of problem, many of the original insights of these first solutions still apply.
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