Shira Faigenbaum-Golovin 

I am a Phillip Griffiths Assistant Research Professor at Duke University's math department as well as at the Rhodes Interdisciplinary Initiative, working with Prof. Ingrid Daubechies.
In 2021 I completed my Ph.D. at the Department of Applied Mathematics, School of Mathematical Sciences, Tel Aviv University, under the supervision of Prof. David Levin and Prof. Yoel Shkolnisky.

My research strives at designing approximation tools for manifolds embedded in high dimensions. In addition, I develop Machine Learning and Image Processing algorithms, aiming to answer long debated questions in Archaeology in general - and Paleography in particular, see project site.


email: shira.golovin (at) math.duke.edu

 

Education

2014-2021: Ph.D student, Applied Mathematics, Tel Aviv University.
Title of thesis: Reconstruction and Denoising of Low Dimensional Manifolds from High Dimensional Scattered Data.
Supervisors: Prof. D. Levin and Prof. Y. Shkolnisky

2009-2013: M.Sc, Applied Mathematics, Tel Aviv University (Magna Cum Laude).
Title of thesis: Anisotropic Moving Least Squares Function Approximation.
Supervisor: Prof. D. Levin

2003-2006: B.Sc, Mathematics and Computer Science, Tel Aviv University.

Research Interests

 
High dimensional data denoising, Manifold repairing, Function approximation in high-dimension, Surface reconstruction, Data Science, Machine learning, Deep Neural Network, Image processing, Handwringing analysis, Multispectral imaging, Image quality assessment, Hyperspectral remote sensing analysis, reading and writing in old Hebrew used 2600 years ago.  
 

In the Press

 
You can find several papers published in the press, as well as a TV show interview with me about ancient handwriting analysis here: Press
 

Publications

Submitted / In Preparation

  [28] Neural Network Approximation of Refinable Functions
Daubechies, I., DeVore, R., Dym, N., Faigenbaum-Golovin, S., Kovalsky, S.Z., Lin, K.C., Park, J., Petrova, G., Sober, B.
Under review.

  [27] Manifold Reconstruction and Denoising from Scattered Data in High Dimension via a Generalization of L1-Median
Faigenbaum-Golovin, S., Levin, D.,
Under review.

  [26] Approximation of Functions over Manifolds in High Dimension from Noisy Scattered Data
Faigenbaum-Golovin, S., Levin, D.,
Under review.

  [25] Manifold Repairing, Reconstruction and Denoising from Scattered Data in High-Dimension
Faigenbaum-Golovin, S., Levin, D.,
In preparation.

  [24] Image Quality Assessment via Order Preserving Mapping
Faigenbaum-Golovin, S., Shimshi, O.,
In preparation.

  [23] Seeing the Invisible - Ostraca Hunting via Multispectral Imaging
Levy, E., Faigenbaum-Golovin, S., Piasetzky, E., Finkelstein, I.,
In preparation.

 

Published

  [22] Arad Ostracon 24 Side A
Faigenbaum-Golovin, S., Finkelstein, I., Levy, E., Na'aman, N., Piasetzky, E.,
Semitica, 62, 43-68, 2020.

  [21] Literacy in Judah And Israel: Algorithmic and Forensic Examination of the Arad and Samaria Ostraca
Faigenbaum-Golovin, S., Shaus, A., Sober, B., Gerber, Y., Turkel, E., Piasetzky, E., Finkelstein, I.,
Near Eastern Archaeology, 84(2), 148-158, 2021.

  [20] Forensic document examination and algorithmic handwriting analysis of Judahite biblical period inscriptions reveal significant literacy level
Shaus, A., Gerber, Y., Faigenbaum-Golovin, S. Sober, B., Piasetzky, E., Finkelstein, I.,
PLOS ONE, 15(9), 2020.

  [19] Algorithmic Handwriting Analysis of the Samaria Inscriptions Illuminates Bureaucratic Apparatus in Biblical Israel
Faigenbaum-Golovin, S., Shaus, A., Sober, B., Turkel, E., Piasetzky, E., Finkelstein, I.,
PLOS ONE, 15(1), 2020.

  [18] Writer Characterization and Identification in Short Modern and Historical Documents: Reconsidering Paleographic Tables
Faigenbaum-Golovin, S., Levin, D., Piasetzky, E., Finkelstein, I.,
19th ACM Symposium on Document Engineering (DocEng2019), 2019.

  [17] Removing Moisture Effect on Soil Reflectance Properties: A Case Study of Clay Content Prediction
Ogen, Y., Faigenbaum-Golovin, S., Granot, A., Shkolnisky, Y., Goldshleger, N., Ben-Dor, E.,
Pedosphere, 29(4), 421-431, 2019.

  [16] A Renewed Reading of Hebrew Ostraca from Cave A-2 at Ramat Beit Shemesh (Nahal Yarmut), Based on Multispectral Imaging
Mendel-Geberovich, A., Faigenbaum-Golovin, S., Shaus, A., Sober, B., Cordonsky, M., Piasetzky E., Finkelstein, I., Milevski I.,
Vetus Testamentum, 69(4-5), 682-701, 2019.

  [15] Multispectral Imaging Reveals Biblical-Period Inscription Unnoticed for Half a Century
Faigenbaum-Golovin, S., Mendel-Geberovich, A., Shaus, A., Sober, B., Cordonsky, M., Levin, D., Moinester, M., Sass, B., Turkel, E., Piasetzky E., Finkelstein, I.,
PLOS ONE, 12(6), 2017.

  [14] A Brand New Old Inscription: Arad Ostracon 16 Rediscovered via Multispectral Imaging
Mendel-Geberovich, A., Shaus, A., Faigenbaum-Golovin, S., Sober, B., Cordonsky, M., Piasetzky, E., Finkelstein, I.,
Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research (BASOR), 378, pp. 31-34, 2017.

  [13] Potential Contrast - a New Image Quality Measure
Shaus, A., Faigenbaum-Golovin, S., Sober, B., E. Piasetzky, Turkel, E.,
Proceedings of the IS&T International Symposium on Electronic Imaging 2017, pp. 52-28, 2017.

  [12] Shedding Light on Iron Age Hebrew Ostraca via Modern Imaging and Computational Technologies
Faigenbaum-Golovin, S., Mendel-Geberovich, A., Shaus, A., Sober, B., Cordonsky, M., Levin, D., Moinester, M., Sass, B., Turkel, E., Piasetzky E., Finkelstein, I.,
TAU Archaeology, 3(12), 2017

  [11] Statistical Inference in Archaeology: Are We Confident?
Shaus, A., Sober, B., Faigenbaum-Golovin, S., Mendel-Geberovich, A., Levin, D., Piasetzky E., Turkel, E.,
in: O. Lipschits, Y. Gadot, M. J. Adams eds., Rethinking Israel: Studies in the History and Archaeology of Ancient Israel in Honor of Israel Finkelstein,
Eisenbrauns, Winona Lake, 389-401, 2017.

  [10] Algorithmic Handwriting Analysis of Judah's Military Correspondence Sheds Light on Composition of Biblical Texts
Faigenbaum-Golovin, S., Shaus, A., Sober, B., Levin, D., Na'aman, N., Sass, B., Turkel, E., Piasetzky, E., & Finkelstein, I.,
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 113 (17), pp. 4664-4669, 2016.

  [9] Facsimile Creation: Review of Algorithmic Approaches
Shaus, A., Sober, B., Faigenbaum-Golovin, S., Mendel-Geberovich, A., Piasetzky, E., Turkel, E.,
in: I. Finkelstein, C. Robin, T. Romer eds., Alphabets, Texts and Artefacts in the Ancient Near East, Studies Presented to Benjamin Sass, pp. 474-488, 2016.

  [8] Multispectral Imaging of Tel Malhata Ostraca
Faigenbaum, S., Sober, B., Moinester, M., Piasetzky, E., Bearman, G.,
inTel Malhata: A Central City in the Biblical Negev, Itzhaq Beit-Arieh (ed), Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv University Monograph Series , 32, pp. 510-513, 2015.

  [7] Computerized Paleographic Investigation Of Hebrew Iron Age Ostraca
Faigenbaum-Golovin, S., Shaus, A, Sober, B, Finkelstein, I., Levin, D., Moinester, M., Piasetzky, E., Turkel, E.,
Radiocarbon, Vol 57, Nr 2, pp. 317-325, 2015.

  [6] The Ophel (Jerusalem) Ostracon in Light of New Multispectral Images
Faigenbaum-Golovin, S., Rollston, C.A., Piasetzky, E., Sober, B., Finkelstein, I.,
Semitica, Vol 57, pp. 113-137, 2015.

  [5] Multispectral Imaging as a Tool to Enhance the Reading of Ostraca
Sober, B., Faigenbaum, S., Beit-Arieh, I., Finkelstein, I., Moinester, M., Piasetzky, E., Shaus, A.,
Palestine Exploration Quarterly, Volume 146, Issue 3 (2014), pp. 185-197, 2014.

  [4] Multispectral Imaging of two Hieratic Inscriptions from Qubur el- Walaydah
Faigenbaum, S., Sober, B., Finkelstein, I., Moinester, M., Piasetzky, E., Shaus, A., Cordonsky, M.,
Egypt and the Levant, XXIV, pp. 349-353, 2014.

  [3] Evaluating Glyph Binarizations Based on Their Properties
Faigenbaum, S., Shaus, A., Sober, B., Turkel, E., Piasetzky, E.,
13th ACM Symposium on Document Engineering (DocEng2013), 2013

  [2] Multispectral Images of Ostraca: Acquisition and Analysis
Faigenbaum, S., Sober, B., Shaus, A., Moinester, M., Piasetzky, E., Bearman, G., Cordonsky, M., Finkelstein, I.,
Journal of Archaeological Science, Vol. 39, Issue 12, 2012, pp. 3581-3590, 2012.

  [1] Reconstructing Ancient Israel: Integrating Macro- and Micro-archaeology
Finkelstein, I., Boaretto, E., Ben Dor Evian, S., Cabanes, D., Cabanes, M., Eliyahu, A., Faigenbaum, S., Gadot, Y., Langgut, D., Martin, M., Meiri, M.,
Namdar, D., Sapir-Hen, L., Shahack-Gross, R., Shaus, A., Sober, B., Tofollo, M., Yahalom-Mack, N., Zapassky, L., Weiner, S.,
Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel, Vol 1, 2012, pp. 133-150, 2012.

 

My Art