Richard Rusczyk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Rusczyk
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | September 21, 1971 Idaho Falls, Idaho, U.S.
|
| Alma mater | Princeton University |
| Known for | Art of Problem Solving |
| Spouse(s) | Vanessa Rusczyk |
| Awards | World Federation of National Mathematics Competitions Paul Erdös Award (2014) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | Art of Problem Solving [1] |
Richard Rusczyk (born September 21, 1971) is an American mathematician. He founded and was the chief executive officer of Art of Problem Solving Inc. He also co-authored the Art of Problem Solving textbooks.
Rusczyk was a national Mathcounts participant in 1985. He won the USA Math Olympiad (USAMO) in 1989. He helped create the Mandelbrot Competition. He also used to direct the USA Mathematical Talent Search (USAMTS). Richard Rusczyk also started the San Diego Math Circle.
Contents
Early Life and Math Journey
Richard Rusczyk was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho in 1971. He joined the MathCounts program when he was in middle school. In high school, Rusczyk was part of his school's math team. He also took part in the American Mathematics Competitions.
Later, Rusczyk won the USA Math Olympiad (USAMO). He was also an alternate for the USA team for the International Math Olympiad (IMO). Rusczyk then went to Princeton University, graduating in 1993. After college, he started graduate school but later left to become a high school teacher.
Art of Problem Solving: Helping Students
From 1993 to 1994, Rusczyk and Sandor Lehoczky wrote the first Art of Problem Solving books. These books helped students get ready for math competitions. They taught math ideas and ways to solve problems that schools often did not cover. The company Richard Rusczyk started in 2003 was named after these books.
After working as a bond trader for four years, Rusczyk created the Art of Problem Solving website. This website helps middle and high school students improve their math and problem-solving skills. It offers real-time math competitions and online courses. These courses teach students how to solve problems that get harder over time. The website also has math forums where students can discuss problems.
Rusczyk founded a non-profit group called the Art of Problem Solving Initiative. He serves on its board. This group runs the United States of America Mathematical Talent Search (USAMTS). It also helps fund many local math programs across the United States. In 2012, Rusczyk received the Mathcounts distinguished alumnus award. In 2014, he won the Paul Erdős Award from a worldwide math competition group.
Richard Rusczyk retired from his role as CEO of Art of Problem Solving on March 24, 2025.
Textbooks for Math Students
Richard Rusczyk has written and co-written several textbooks. These books are for students in grades 5 through 12. Some titles include Pre-algebra, Introduction to Algebra, and Introduction to Geometry.
In the summer of 1990, after his first year at Princeton University, Richard Rusczyk, Sandor Lehoczky, and Sam Vandervelde created a math competition. It was called the Mandelbrot Competition. The scores were not as good as they hoped. This led Richard Rusczyk and Sandor Lehoczky to write the first Art of Problem Solving books. These were Art of Problem Solving Volumes 1 and 2.
List of Books (Co)authored by Richard Rusczyk
- The Art of Problem Solving: The Basics - Published 1993 with Sandor Lehoczky
- Art of Problem Solving, Volume 2: And Beyond - Published 1994 with Sandor Lehoczky
- Introduction to Geometry - Published 2006
- Introduction to Algebra - Published 2007
- Intermediate Algebra - Published 2007 with Mathew Crawford
- Precalculus - Published 2009
- Prealgebra - Published 2011 with David Patrick, Ravi Boppana
Education and Other Roles
Rusczyk studied chemical engineering at Princeton University. He graduated with high honors in 1993. He also served on the board for ARML. He managed the Western ARML site.
External Links
- Rusczyk's blog
