Martin Werner Licht

Martin Werner Licht is a Lecturer at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in the Department of Mathematics within the School of Basic Sciences. He holds the position of Bernoulli Instructor at EPFL since September 2021, following his time as a Visiting Assistant Professor at UC San Diego from 2017-2021.

His educational background includes a PhD in Mathematics from the University of Oslo (2014-2017), and dual Diplom (Master's) degrees in Computer Science and Mathematics from the University of Bonn, Germany (2006-2013).

• PhD in Mathematics, University of Oslo, Norway (2014-2017)
• Diplom in Computer Science, University of Bonn, Germany (2006-2013)
• Diplom in Mathematics, University of Bonn, Germany (2006-2012)

Licht's research focuses on finite element methods for partial differential equations, particularly in electromagnetism and general relativity. His work centers on finite element exterior calculus, structure-preserving numerical methods, and geometric analysis. He has made significant contributions to understanding discrete distributional differential forms and smoothed projections in weakly Lipschitz domains.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on theoretical aspects of finite element methods, with particular attention to de Rham complexes, Poincaré-Friedrichs inequalities, and geometric transformations. His work bridges pure mathematical theory with practical computational applications, especially in numerical simulations of physical phenomena.

Licht has co-organized the international workshop 'Structure-Preserving Numerical Methods for Partial Differential Equations' at the Bernoulli Center in Lausanne (2023) and regularly presents at major conferences including SIAM Annual Meetings and ENUMATH.

He has supervised several undergraduate students including Zhao Lyu (who received the 2018 Physical Sciences Dean's Undergraduate Award for Excellence at UC San Diego), Tharindu Fernando, Xinyi He, Jiyue Zeng (who received the 2020 Physical Sciences Dean's Undergraduate Award for Excellence), and Tâm Johan Nguyen.

Licht teaches various mathematics courses at EPFL including Analysis III/IV, Numerical Methods for Conservation Laws, and Numerical Approximation for Partial Differential Equations. His teaching reviews note that he is 'easy to understand despite French accent and explains examples very well.'