Philippe G. LeFloch

Affiliation: Laboratoire Jacques‑Louis Lions (LJLL), Sorbonne Université & CNRS

Address: 4 Place Jussieu, 75252 Paris, France

Research areas

Partial differential equations
Nonlinear waves
Mathematical general relativity
Geometric analysis
Machine learning
Structure‑preserving methods

Employment
Education
Research interests
Training
Honors
Service
Teaching
Funding
Events
Earlier
Citation metrics

Current employment

Research professor at Sorbonne Université and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS).

Employment

2009 (Mar–Apr): Visiting professor, Centre for Advanced Studies, Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters (Oslo).
2003 (Jan–Jul): Visiting researcher, Isaac Newton Institute of Mathematics (Cambridge).
2000 (Sep)–2001 (Feb): Visiting professor, ETH Zürich .
1999–2004: Research professor (CNRS), École Polytechnique (Palaiseau).
1998 (Aug–Dec): Visiting professor, University of Wisconsin–Madison.
1998 (Feb–May): Visiting professor, Instituto Superior Técnico(Lisbon).
1995–1999: Junior research professor (CNRS), École Polytechnique (Palaiseau).
1994 (Sep)–1995 (Aug): Associate professor, University of Southern California (Los Angeles).
1992 (Sep)–1994 (Aug): Assistant professor, University of Southern California (Los Angeles).
1990 (Sep)–1992 (Aug): Courant instructor, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University. Postdoc mentor: Peter D. Lax.
1987–1990: CNRS junior researcher, École Polytechnique (Palaiseau).

Extended scientific visits (a month or more)

2015: Simons Center for Geometry and Physics (SCGP), Stony Brook.
2013: Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI), Berkeley.
2011: Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI), Berkeley.
2010: Erwin Schrödinger Institute (ESI), Vienna.
2007: School of Mathematics, Guangzhou University.
2007: Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI), Berkeley.

Education

1990: Habilitation à diriger des recherches, Université Pierre‑et‑Marie‑Curie.
1988: Ph.D. thesis in Applied Mathematics, École Polytechnique (Palaiseau).
1984: Agrégation de Mathématiques (national diploma).
1984: Master in Numerical Analysis, Université d’Orsay.
1982: École Normale Supérieure, Saint‑Cloud.

Research interests

Models from Mathematical Physics and Continuum Physics

Keywords: fluid dynamics; physical modeling; general relativity; self‑gravitating matter; two‑phase liquid flow.

Mathematical Analysis of Partial Differential Equations

Keywords: geometric analysis; Ricci curvature; quasilinear wave equations; hyperbolic conservation laws; shock waves.

Structure‑Preserving Approximation of PDEs

Keywords: numerical simulation; machine learning; front tracking; shock‑capturing; mathematical finance; clustering algorithms.

Links (selected)

Training of students

More than 40 master’s and postdoctoral students worked under my guidance. In addition, 15 students defended a Ph.D. thesis under my supervision:

Frédéric Coquel (1994)
Christophe Chalons (2002)
Mai‑Duc Thanh (2003)
Joaquim Correia (2007)
Paulo Amorim (2008)
Benjamin Boutin (2009)
Baver Okutmustur (2010)
Hassan Makhlof (2012)
Annegret Burtscher (2013)
Nastasia Grubic (2013)
Yue Ma (2014)
Abdelaziz Beljadid (2015)
Shuyang Xiang (2016)
Shijie Dong (2019)
Yangyang Cao (2020)
Weidong Zhang (in preparation)

Honors and awards

2023: Award from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Kyoto University.
2019–2023: Research award (Prime de recherche), CNRS.
2018–2020: “1000 Talent Program” award, Fudan University (Shanghai).
2017–2019: Award of Excellence at Sorbonne Université (in support of an ERC Advanced Grant application).
2012–2016: Research award (Prime de recherche), CNRS.
2012: Award from JSPS, University of Tokyo.
2004: Award from JSPS, Tokyo Institute of Technology.
2001–2002: Course invitation to ETH Nachdiplom‑Vorlesungen, ETH Zürich.
1995–1999: NSF Faculty Early Career Development Award (CAREER), DMS 95‑02766.

Administrative work and editorial service (selected)

2020–2026: Elected member of the Department Committee, Laboratoire J.‑L. Lions (Sorbonne Université).
Since 2006: Manager of research projects in France: ANR (three times), ERC (twice), CNRS (twice).
2023–2024: Member of the Hiring Committee, Department of Mathematics, University of Tours.
2021–2024: Member of the Managing Team of the LJLL website, Sorbonne Université.
2019–2020: Member of the Hiring Committee, École Normale Supérieure (LPTHE).
2004–2022: Creator and Editor‑in‑Chief, Journal of Hyperbolic Differential Equations (World Scientific).
Since 1990: Member of Ph.D. thesis committees (national evaluation of Ph.D. theses and HDR).

Courses taught (selected)

2024: Series of lectures, An Introduction to Structure‑Preserving Methods for Nonlinear Hyperbolic Waves, University of Leipzig (Germany).
2023: Series of lectures, The Initial Value Problem for the Einstein Equations, University of Kyoto (Japan).
2021: Series of lectures / graduate course, 4th Geometric Analysis Festival (Seoul): Recent advances on Einstein’s constraint equations.
2019: Series of lectures, Structure‑Preserving Techniques for Nonlinear Waves, Oberwolfach (Germany).
2018–2020: Advanced graduate course, Introduction to Hyperbolic Conservation Laws, Fudan University.
2015–2018: Advanced graduate course, Introduction to the Einstein–Euler Equations, Sorbonne Université & Institut Henri Poincaré.
2016: Series of lectures, Global Nonlinear Stability of Minkowski Space, Oberwolfach (with M. Dafermos).
2015: Short course, An Introduction to the Einstein Equations, University of Corsica (France).
2013: Short course, Finite Energy Method for Compressible Fluids, University of Bath (UK).
2012: Short course, Numerical Analysis of Nonlinear Hyperbolic Equations, University of Malaga (Spain).

Earlier teaching (brief)

Earlier years: teaching at New York University, University of Southern California, and University of Wisconsin–Madison. Undergraduate courses (e.g., Discrete Calculus, Calculus, Advanced Calculus) and graduate courses (e.g., PDEs, nonlinear hyperbolic equations, numerical methods for PDEs).

Funding as a principal investigator (selected)

ANR (2023–2028): Einstein constraints: past, present, and future (Einstein‑PPF). Amount: €290,000.
ERC MSCA Staff Exchange (2023–2026): Einstein gravity and nonlinear waves: physical models, numerical simulations and data analysis (Einstein‑Waves). Amount: €80,000.
ERC ITN (2015–2022): Head of the French team, Modeling and Computation of Shocks and Interfaces (ModShock). Amount: €650,000.
ANR (2011–2016): Mathematical General Relativity. Analysis and geometry of spacetimes with low regularity (GR‑Analysis‑Geometry). Amount: €210,000.
CNRS (2010–2016): Two‑Phase Fluid Flows: Modeling, Analysis, and Computational Methods (with Freiburg University). Amount: €36,000.
ANR (2006–2010): Mathematical Methods for General Relativity (MATH‑GR), joint with the Observatory of Paris–Meudon. Amount: €280,000.
NSF (1992–1996): PI of three grants: DMS 92‑09326, DMS 93‑96260, DMS 94‑01003.

Organization of large scientific events (selected)

2025 (Jun): Principal organizer, Lichnerowicz Conference Series, Institut Henri Poincaré (Paris), with L. Blanchet, E. Gourgoulhon, J.‑L. Jaramillo, and B. Le Floch.
2023 (Jan): Co‑organizer, International Conference on Geometric Analysis of Ricci Curvature, Guangxi Center for Mathematical Research (Nanning University, China).
2022 (Jun): Principal organizer, scientific program at SCGP (Stony Brook), with A. Carlotto, M. Khuri, and R. Mazzeo.
2003 (Jan–Jul): Principal organizer, semester program at the Isaac Newton Institute (Cambridge): Nonlinear Hyperbolic Waves in Phase Dynamics and Astrophysics, with C. M. Dafermos and E. Toro.

Other organizations of activities (selected)

2024 (Jan): Organizer, International Conference on Geometric Analysis of Ricci Curvature, Guangxi Center for Mathematical Research (Nanning University, China).
2006–2020: Main organizer of the monthly seminar on Mathematical General Relativity (Sorbonne Université).
2014 & 2016: Main organizer, DFG‑CNRS collaborative workshops “Two‑Phase Fluid Flows”.

Recent conference & colloquium talks (selected)

2025 Colloquium at Georgetown University, Washington, DC
2025 Colloquium at Howard University, Washington, DC
2025 Petrovskii Conference: Differential equations and related topics (online), Lomonosov Moscow State University
2024 GR24 Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation, Cordoba, Argentina.
2024 International Conference on Geometric Analysis and Ricci Curvature, Xi’an Jiaotong University, China
2024 Colloquium at UGA University of Georgia, Athens, USA
2024 Seminar of PDEs at Georgia Tech, Atlanta, USA
2024 Seminar of Applied Mathematics at Georgia Tech, Atlanta, USA
2023 International Conference “Infinity on a Gridshell”, Copenhagen, Denmark
2023 Journées Relativistes, Université de Tours
2023 Colloquium Lecture, Purdue University
2023 Colloquium Lecture, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, WPI
2023 Colloquium Lecture, University of Illinois at Chicago, invited by Jerry Bona
2023 Colloquium Lecture, International Christian Univ., invited by Mitsuru Yamazaki
2023 Kyushu Workshop on PDEs, Fukuoka, organized by Shuichi Kawashima
2022 ESI Program: Mathematical Perspectives of Gravitation beyond the Vacuum Regime, Erwin Schrödinger International Institute, Vienna
2022 The XVIII International Conference on Hyperbolic Problems: Theory, Numerics and Applications, Malaga (contributed talk)
2022 Colloquium Lecture, Tulane University
2021 Petrovskii Conference: Differential equations and related topics, Lomonosov Moscow State University
2021 Computational Challenges in Multi-Messenger Astrophysics, IPAM, University of Cal- ifornia, Los Angeles
2021 Marcel Grossman Meeting, Mini-symposium Lecture, Rome, Italy
2021 Fifth International Conference AMINSE for the 25th Anniversary of Tbilisi Interna- tional Centre Tbilisi, Georgia
2021 Colloquium Lecture, Stony Brook University
2021 IAQF Thalesian, New York, invited by H. Stein, Bloomberg
2021 International Meeting on Lorentzian Geometry (GeLoCor), Univ. of Cordoba
2021 The Quantitative Finance Conference, WBS training, New York.
2020 Conference on Numerical Relativity, ICERM Brown University, Etats-Unis.
2020 Geometric PDEs seminar, The University of Chicago
2019 Colloquium Lecture, Miami University
2019 Colloquium Lecture, University of California, Los Angeles
2019 Colloquium Lecture, Stony Brook University
2018 Conference in Lorentzian Geometry, University of Warsaw, Poland
2018 Conference in honor of Giovanni Russo, University of Ferrara,Italy
2018 Workshop “Mass in General Relativity”, Simons Center for Geometry and Physics (SCGP), Stony Brook University
2018 Workshop at the University of Hamburg, Germany
2018 International Conference on Nonlinear Hyperbolic Problems: Theory, Numerics and Applications, Penn State
2017 University of Otago, New Zealand. Public Lecture, entitled “Waves around us: An applied mathematician’s perspective”
2017 Conference “Hyperbolic equations and mathematical physics”, Université de Bordeaux, in honor of Alain Bachelot
2017 Conference at the Erwin Schrödinger International Institute, Vienna, Austria

Earlier

Earlier teaching

Teaching at New York University (Courant Institute), the University of Southern California, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison: undergraduate courses (Discrete Calculus, Calculus, Advanced Calculus) and graduate courses (PDEs, nonlinear hyperbolic equations, numerical methods for PDEs).

Earlier talks and visits

Older conference and seminar invitations, as well as earlier visits, are available in the PDF vitae.

Citation metrics (snapshot)

About 230 research papers and 6 books with 125 co-authors.

Google Scholar (accessed January 2026): citations 10,554; h-index 50; i10-index 157.
Most cited paper: “Definition and weak stability of nonconservative products”, G. Dal Maso, P. G. LeFloch, F. Murat, J. Math. Pures Appl. 74 (1995).

Last updated: January 2026.

SHORT VITAE