The tape-head interaction in magnetic recording is modeled by a coupled sys
tem of a second-order differential equation fur the pressure and a fourth-o
rder differential equation For the tape deflection. There is also the const
raint that the spacing between the head and the tape remains positive. In t
his paper, we study the stationary one-dimensional case and establish the e
xistance of a smooth solution. (C) 2001 Academic Press.