•  
  •  
 

Journal of Math Circles

Special Issue Call for Papers

Honoring Robert and Ellen Kaplan

Special Issue Editors: Amanda Serenevy, Rodi Steinig

The Journal of Math Circles is pleased to announce a call for papers for a special issue honoring Bob and Ellen Kaplan. To contribute, please submit an abstract via the Journal of Math Circles website by March 31, 2022. We will confirm your participation in mid-April. Complete manuscripts will be due July 31, 2022. This special issue will appear in November 2022.


Bob and Ellen Kaplan had an extensive influence on the growth of Math Circles in the United States. Starting with their first Math Circle in 1994 and continuing for more than 25 years, they shared their deep love of mathematics and transformed the lives of several generations of students, mathematicians, and teachers. They thought deeply and wrote prolifically about their philosophy of teaching and inspired people from around the world to lead Math Circles of their own.

This special issue will include contributions that remember Bob and Ellen, recount favorite mathematical adventures they led, discuss their pedagogical approach, describe their legacy, and reflect generally on the Math Circle movement.

More specifically, we are looking for articles that fit into one or more of the following categories:
  • Biographical articles: Remembering Bob and Ellen, especially reflecting on the mathematical and pedagogical ideas they shared. Examples include biographical sketches and anecdotes showing their personalities and their impact on people’s lives.
  • Mathematical articles:
    • Favorite mathematical topics shared by the Kaplans
    • Reading List including a list of their favorite books and their own works
  • Pedagogy / Philosophy:
    • Accessible Mysteries --- how to turn math topics into adventures using the Kaplans’ approach
    • Distinguishing features of the Kaplans’ pedagogical approach
  • Legacy: Accounts of Math Circles whose creation was inspired by the Kaplans
  • The Math Circle Movement: Reflections on the past, present, and future of the Math Circle movement
We also welcome other ideas if you have a category in mind that did not occur to us.

To contribute, please submit an abstract via the Journal of Math Circles website by March 31, 2022. We will confirm your participation in mid-April. Complete manuscripts will be due July 31, 2022. This special issue will appear in November 2022.

You can submit abstract proposals here. Please note that if you are submitting an abstract application to be considered for the current special issue, do not upload a full text submission or any additional files during the submission process .