An integral method is developed to solve the inverse problem of determining the oscillatory heat release distribution from the knowledge of the acoustic pressure field within a combustor. Unlike earlier approaches, in which the problem is formulated in terms of Fredholm integral equation, the inverse problem is reformulated in terms of Volterra integral equation. This reformulation, valid for low Mach numbers (M2 ≪ 1), facilitates the recovery of heat release at all frequencies. The resulting Volterra integral equation is solved using both direct numerical method and implicit least-squares method. The results show that the implicit least-squares method is superior to the direct numerical method and yields accurate determination of heat release at all frequencies. © 2003 Acoustical Society of America.