The recent developments in the research area have shown a significant shift towards more efficient and innovative methods for handling complex acoustic scenarios, particularly in the context of real-time modeling and inverse problems. A notable trend is the adoption of modal decomposition techniques, which allow for the extraction of energy decay modes and their relationships with sources and listeners, enabling more accurate and efficient modeling of late reverberation in complex environments. Additionally, there is a growing focus on analytical inversion formulas and novel algorithms for solving inverse problems, particularly in the context of high dynamic range tomography and source reconstruction in multi-layered media. These advancements are not only enhancing the computational efficiency of existing methods but also expanding their applicability to a broader range of scenarios, including those involving stochastic wave equations and random sources. Furthermore, the field is witnessing a quantitative comparison of different imaging techniques, with a clear preference for methods that leverage full waveform data, such as full waveform inversion, over traditional approaches like the total focusing method. This shift underscores the importance of utilizing comprehensive data for more accurate defect detection and material property reconstruction.

Noteworthy papers include one presenting a modal decomposition approach for acoustic radiance transfer that efficiently handles complex scenarios and captures multiple decay slopes, and another introducing a novel analytical inversion formula for the modulo Radon transform, which significantly advances high dynamic range tomography. Additionally, a paper on reconstructing acoustic sources in two-layered media from multi-frequency far-field patterns stands out for its innovative use of Fourier methods and phase retrieval algorithms.