About

Alexander P. Karp is a Professor of Mathematics Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. His educational background includes a B.A. and M.A. in Mathematics and Education from Leningrad State Pedagogical University, an M.A. in History and Education from St. Petersburg State Pedagogical University, and a Ph.D. in Mathematics and Education from St. Petersburg State Pedagogical University. His scholarly interests encompass gifted education, problem solving, the history of mathematics education, and the development of mathematics teaching practices. Karp has contributed extensively to the field through research, publications, and educational initiatives. His work includes exploring the history of mathematics education, particularly in Russia, and examining the education of mathematically gifted students. He has authored numerous articles, book chapters, and textbooks, and has been recognized with awards such as the Federal Medal for Outstanding Teaching and multiple Soros Foundation Outstanding Teacher Awards. His research and publications focus on analyzing educational reforms, the history of mathematics education, and strategies for teaching mathematics effectively, especially to talented and gifted students.

Research topics

• Political Science
• Mathematics education
• Mathematics
• Law
• Sociology
• Social Science
• Philosophy
• History
• Geography

Selected publications

• On the Series International Studies in the History of Mathematics and Its Teaching

  Analecta - Polska Akademia Nauk. Instytut Historii Nauki · 2026-03-19

  article1st authorCorresponding
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• How Problems Are Posed: Some Observations

  Research in mathematics education · 2026-01-01

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
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• A Fighter for Red Integrals (On L.A. Leifert)

  Analecta - Polska Akademia Nauk. Instytut Historii Nauki · 2026-03-19

  article1st authorCorresponding

  The title of this paper refers to reminiscences about Leningrad University professor Leonid Leifert, who explained to his students that even in seemingly the most abstract mathematical disciplines, the struggle between the revolutionary and the White Guard elements continued, and there were, therefore, red integrals and white integrals. After the revolution of 1917, Leifert became a member of the Communist Party and one of the most zealous implementers of what the party demanded. In this capacity, he had to fight with Leningrad’s (St. Petersburg’s) most prominent mathematicians and write about the methodology of mathematics instruction — one of the first Soviet textbooks on the subject was edited by him. But although he himself did not waver in implementing the party’s decisions, the party line itself wavered, and already in 1932 he had to repent for pernicious ideas that he had deviously promoted just a year earlier. This did not help him, and in 1938 he was executed. The present study contains an investigation of Leifert’s biography and his works, never undertaken before and useful for a better understanding of what went on at the time. It draws on archival materials and published works from the period under investigation.

  PublisherDOI

• The history of women’s mathematics education: Forming a research program

  The Journal of Mathematical Behavior · 2025-02-19

  articleSenior authorCorresponding
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• The Integrated Approach and Gifted Students: A Historical Perspective

  International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education · 2025-03-14 · 1 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding
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• A Roadmap of Research on and Practice with Mathematical Curiosity

  Research in mathematics education · 2025-01-01

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• Curiosity and Its Development in Students: A Few Pages from History

  Research in mathematics education · 2025-01-01

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
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• On Studying Old Textbooks

  Journal of Mathematics Education at Teachers College · 2024-12-13

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Overview of articles.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The History of the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics

  2024-06-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
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• A Revolutionary in Mathematics Education (On V.R. Mrochek)

  Trends in the history of science · 2024-01-01

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
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Frequent coauthors

• Maria Giuseppina Bartolini

  University of Modena and Reggio Emilia

  8 shared

• Роза Лейкин

  University of Haifa

  7 shared

• David L. Roberts

  University of Kent

  7 shared

• Fulvia Furinghetti

  6 shared

• Gert Schubring

  Bielefeld University

  6 shared

• Vladimir Yu. Protasov

  5 shared

• Mark Applebaum

  Kaye Academic College of Education

  5 shared

• Alexey Sossinsky

  Independent University of Moscow

  5 shared

Education

• B.A., Mathematics and Education

  Leningrad State Pedagogical University

• M.A., Mathematics and Education

  Leningrad State Pedagogical University

• M.A., History and Education

  St. Petersburg State Pedagogical University

• Ph.D., Mathematics and Education

  St. Petersburg State Pedagogical University

Awards & honors

• Golden medal for academic excellence (1976)
• Federal Medal for Outstanding Teaching (1989)
• Soros Foundation Outstanding Teacher Award (1994)
• Soros Foundation Outstanding Teacher Award (1995)
• Soros Foundation Outstanding Teacher Award (1998)