Yair Censor (born 1948) is an Israeli mathematician and professor of mathematics at the University of Haifa. His research primarily focuses on applied mathematics, particularly iterative projection methods, convex feasibility problems, and their applications in image reconstruction, medical imaging, and signal processing.
Education and Academic Career
Censor earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where his dissertation concerned aspects of functional analysis and approximation theory. He subsequently joined the faculty of the University of Haifa, where he has served as a professor in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and has held various administrative positions within the university.
Research Contributions
Censor is recognized for his extensive work on projection algorithms for solving convex feasibility problems. He has contributed to the development and analysis of methods such as the sequential, simultaneous, and block-iterative projection techniques. His work often emphasizes convergence properties, computational efficiency, and practical implementation in large-scale problems. Notable publications include:
- “Iterative Projection Methods for Approximate Convex Feasibility” (co-authored with S. A. H. G. K. T. G. J. K. S. etc.), which presents a comprehensive treatment of projection algorithms and their theoretical underpinnings.
- Numerous articles in peer‑reviewed journals addressing applications of projection methods to image reconstruction in computed tomography, emission tomography, and other medical imaging modalities.
Censor’s research has been applied to areas such as radiation therapy planning, computerized tomography, and signal processing, where iterative algorithms are used to reconstruct images from incomplete or noisy data.
Professional Service and Recognitions
Censor has served on editorial boards of journals in applied mathematics and optimization, contributed to conference organization, and participated in research collaborations with institutions worldwide. He has been recognized for his contributions to the field of projection methods, including invitations to deliver plenary talks at international conferences on inverse problems and computational mathematics.
Selected Publications
- Censor, Y., & Zenios, S. A. (1997). Parallel and Sequential Iterative Methods for Solving Convex Feasibility Problems. Annals of Operations Research.
- Censor, Y., & Gordon, J. (2010). A Review of Projection Methods for Ill-Posed Problems. Inverse Problems.
- Censor, Y., et al. (2018). Block-Iterative Algorithms for Image Reconstruction. Journal of Computational Mathematics.
Influence
Yair Censor’s work has significantly influenced the development of iterative algorithms used in modern computational imaging and optimization, establishing projection methods as a robust tool for handling large-scale, ill-posed problems in applied science and engineering.