5. The last word

Friction is still a physical phenomenon with little scientific understanding. Although a great deal of work has gone into clarifying the concept of friction, there are still a number of steps to be taken before predictive friction and wear models can be obtained. Today, a great deal of work is being done in this direction, with the integration of different physical phenomena and dialogue between scales at its heart. So we shouldn't be afraid to say that it's thanks to digital tribology and its interaction with the experimental world that "friction is a problem that tribologists will have to deal with wear".