Richard Rusczyk
American mathematician and founder of Art of Problem Solving
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Richard Rusczyk (/ˈrʌsɪk/); born September 21, 1971) is an American mathematician. He was the founder and chief executive officer of Art of Problem Solving Inc. and a co-author of the Art of Problem Solving textbooks. Rusczyk was a national Mathcounts participant in 1985, and he won the USA Math Olympiad (USAMO) in 1989. He is one of the co-creators of the Mandelbrot Competition, and a former director of the USA Mathematical Talent Search (USAMTS). He also founded the San Diego Math Circle.
Richard Rusczyk | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born | September 21, 1971 Idaho Falls, Idaho, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Princeton University |
| Known for | Art of Problem Solving |
| Spouse | Vanessa Rusczyk |
| Awards | World Federation of National Mathematics Competitions Paul Erdös Award (2014) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Mathematics |
| Institutions | Art of Problem Solving |
Early life
Richard Rusczyk was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho in 1971.[1] He signed up for the MathCounts program when he was in middle school. As a high schooler, Rusczyk was a part of his high school math team and took part in the American Mathematics Competitions.[2] Rusczyk would later go on to win the USA Math Olympiad (USAMO) and make the alternates for the USA team for the International Math Olympiad (IMO).[3] Rusczyk would later go on to attend Princeton University, which he graduated from in 1993.[4] After graduating from college, Rusczyk went to graduate school which he would later quit to pursue becoming a high school teacher.[5]
Art of Problem Solving
Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) is an educational organization founded in 2003 by mathematician Richard Rusczyk. It provides textbooks, online courses, and community resources designed to help middle and high school students strengthen their mathematics and problem-solving skills, particularly in preparation for mathematics competitions.[6]
History
Between 1993 and 1994, Richard Rusczyk and Sandor Lehoczky authored the first two volumes of the Art of Problem Solving series. These books were designed to prepare students for mathematical competitions by teaching concepts and problem-solving techniques not typical in standard school curricula.[7] The series later gave its name to the educational company Rusczyk founded in 2003.[8]
After completing his undergraduate studies at Princeton University, Rusczyk worked for several years as a bond trader at D. E. Shaw & Co. He later founded Art of Problem Solving in 2003, launching an online platform that offers instructional courses, discussion forums, a collaborative wiki, and interactive games such as For the Win (FTW) and Reaper and "Alcumus".[6]
Initiatives
Rusczyk founded the nonprofit Art of Problem Solving Initiative, which administers the United States of America Mathematical Talent Search (USAMTS) and supports local mathematics programs across the United States.[9]
In 2012, Rusczyk received the Mathcounts Distinguished Alumnus Award. In 2014, he was awarded the Paul Erdős Award by the World Federation of National Mathematics Competitions.[10]
Leadership
On March 24, 2025, Rusczyk retired as chief executive officer of Art of Problem Solving. He was succeeded by Ben Kornell as CEO, with Andrew Sutherland appointed as chief product officer. However, as of February 9th, 2026, Rusczyk is returning as CEO to guide new initiatives. He continues to serve on the company’s board of directors.[11]
Textbooks
Richard Rusczyk has authored and co-authored several mathematics textbooks for students in grades 5–12, including Prealgebra, Introduction to Algebra, and Introduction to Geometry.[12]
After his first year at Princeton University, Rusczyk collaborated with Sandor Lehoczky and Sam Vandervelde to create the Mandelbrot Competition. Following the competition’s limited success, Rusczyk and Lehoczky began writing the first volumes of the Art of Problem Solving series.[13]
Full list of (co)authored textbooks in published order
- The Art of Problem Solving: The Basics (1993), co-authored with Sandor Lehoczky[14]
- Art of Problem Solving, Volume 2: And Beyond (1994), co-authored with Sandor Lehoczky[15]
- Introduction to Geometry (2006)[16]
- Introduction to Algebra (2007)[17]
- Intermediate Algebra (2007), co-authored with Mathew Crawford[18]
- Precalculus (2009)[19]
- Prealgebra (2011), co-authored with David Patrick and Ravi Boppana[20]
See also
Categories
- Mathematics education in the United States
- Educational websites
- American educational companies
