Rate My Professor James Sethian

Sethian's research focuses on level set methods and fast marching methods, numerical algorithms for tracking dynamic interfaces and fronts that develop corners, merge, or break apart. These methods apply to fluid mechanics, combustion, semiconductor manufacturing, computer animation, image processing, materials science, geophysics, medical imaging, and energy research. He authored key books, including Level Set Methods: Evolving Interfaces in Geometry, Fluid Mechanics, Computer Vision and Material Sciences (Cambridge University Press, 1996) and Level Set Methods and Fast Marching Methods: Evolving Interfaces in Geometry, Fluid Mechanics, Computer Vision, and Material Science (Cambridge University Press, 1999). Selected publications feature "Curvature and the Evolution of Fronts" (Communications in Mathematical Physics, 1985), "A Fast Marching Level Set Method for Monotonically Advancing Fronts" (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1996), "Fast Marching Methods" (SIAM Review, 1999), and "Evolution, Implementation, and Application of Level Set and Fast Marching Methods for Advancing Fronts" (Journal of Computational Physics, 2001). Sethian is a member of the National Academy of Sciences (elected 2013) and National Academy of Engineering (2008), with awards including the Norbert Wiener Prize (2004), ICIAM Pioneer Prize (2011), Cozzarelli Prize (2012), Fellow of the American Mathematical Society (2012), and SIAM Fellow (2009). He has given plenary lectures at the International Congress of Mathematicians (2002) and other major conferences and edits several journals.