Level-set method

Video of spiral being propagated by level sets (curvature flow) in 2D. Left image shows zero-level solution. Right image shows the level-set scalar field.

The Level-set method (LSM) is a conceptual framework for using level sets as a tool for numerical analysis of surfaces and shapes. LSM can perform numerical computations involving curves and surfaces on a fixed Cartesian grid without having to parameterize these objects.[1] LSM makes it easier to perform computations on shapes with sharp corners and shapes that change topology (such as by splitting in two or developing holes). These characteristics make LSM effective for modeling objects that vary in time, such as an airbag inflating or a drop of oil floating in water.

An illustration of the level-set method
  1. ^ Osher, S.; Sethian, J. A. (1988), "Fronts propagating with curvature-dependent speed: Algorithms based on Hamilton–Jacobi formulations" (PDF), J. Comput. Phys., 79 (1): 12–49, Bibcode:1988JCoPh..79...12O, CiteSeerX 10.1.1.46.1266, doi:10.1016/0021-9991(88)90002-2, hdl:10338.dmlcz/144762, S2CID 205007680