2026-07-072026-07-07http://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/166395The earthquake-like model with a continuous distribution of static thresholds is used to describe the properties of solid friction. The evolution of the model is reduced to a master equation which can be solved analytically. This approach naturally describes stick-slip and smooth sliding regimes of tribological systems within a framework which separates the calculation of the friction force from the studies of the properties of the contacts.Accepted for publication by Physical Review LettersStatistical Mechanicstext