Helping readers accurately price a vast array of derivatives, this self-contained text explains how to solve complex functional equations through numerical methods. It addresses key computational methods in finance, including transform techniques, the finite difference method, and Monte Carlo simulation. Developed from his courses at Columbia University and the Courant Institute of New York University, the author also covers model calibration and optimization and describes techniques, such as Kalman and particle filters, for parameter estimation.

Many mathematical assumptions on which classical derivative pricing methods are based have come under scrutiny in recent years. The present volume offers an introduction to deterministic algorithms for the fast and accurate pricing of derivative contracts in modern finance. This unified, non-Monte-Carlo computational pricing methodology is capable of handling rather general classes of stochastic market models with jumps, including, in particular, all currently used Lévy and stochastic volatility models. It allows us e.g. to quantify model risk in computed prices on plain vanilla, as well as on various types of exotic contracts. The algorithms are developed in classical Black-Scholes markets, and then extended to market models based on multiscale stochastic volatility, to Lévy, additive and certain classes of Feller processes. This book is intended for graduate students and researchers, as well as for practitioners in the fields of quantitative finance and applied and computational mathematics with a solid background in mathematics, statistics or economics.​

This book discusses the state-of-the-art and open problems in computational finance. It presents a collection of research outcomes and reviews of the work from the STRIKE project, an FP7 Marie Curie Initial Training Network (ITN) project in which academic partners trained early-stage researchers in close cooperation with a broader range of associated partners, including from the private sector. The aim of the project was to arrive at a deeper understanding of complex (mostly nonlinear) financial models and to develop effective and robust numerical schemes for solving linear and nonlinear problems arising from the mathematical theory of pricing financial derivatives and related financial products. This was accomplished by means of financial modelling, mathematical analysis and numerical simulations, optimal control techniques and validation of models. In recent years the computational complexity of mathematical models employed in financial mathematics has witnessed tremendous growth. Advanced numerical techniques are now essential to the majority of present-day applications in the financial industry. Special attention is devoted to a uniform methodology for both testing the latest achievements and simultaneously educating young PhD students. Most of the mathematical codes are linked into a novel computational finance toolbox, which is provided in MATLAB and PYTHON with an open access license. The book offers a valuable guide for researchers in computational finance and related areas, e.g. energy markets, with an interest in industrial mathematics.

Tools for Computational Finance offers a clear explanation of computational issues arising in financial mathematics. The new third edition is thoroughly revised and significantly extended, including an extensive new section on analytic methods, focused mainly on interpolation approach and quadratic approximation. Other new material is devoted to risk-neutrality, early-exercise curves, multidimensional Black-Scholes models, the integral representation of options and the derivation of the Black-Scholes equation. New figures, more exercises, and expanded background material make this guide a real must-to-have for everyone working in the world of financial engineering.

The disciplines of financial engineering and numerical computation differ greatly, however computational methods are used in a number of ways across the field of finance. It is the aim of this book to explain how such methods work in financial engineering; specifically the use of numerical methods as tools for computational finance. By concentrating on the field of option pricing, a core task of financial engineering and risk analysis, this book explores a wide range of computational tools in a coherent and focused manner and will be of use to the entire field of computational finance. Starting with an introductory chapter that presents the financial and stochastic background, the remainder of the book goes on to detail computational methods using both stochastic and deterministic approaches. Now in its fifth edition, Tools for Computational Finance has been significantly revised and contains: A new chapter on incomplete markets which links to new appendices on Viscosity solutions and the Dupire equation; Several new parts throughout the book such as that on the calculation of sensitivities (Sect. 3.7) and the introduction of penalty methods and their application to a two-factor model (Sect. 6.7) Additional material in the field of analytical methods including Kim’s integral representation and its computation Guidelines for comparing algorithms and judging their efficiency An extended chapter on finite elements that now includes a discussion of two-asset options Additional exercises, figures and references Written from the perspective of an applied mathematician, methods are introduced as tools within the book for immediate and straightforward application. A ‘learning by calculating’ approach is adopted throughout this book enabling readers to explore several areas of the financial world. Interdisciplinary in nature, this book will appeal to advanced undergraduate students in mathematics, engineering and other scientific disciplines as well as professionals in financial engineering.

The book covers a wide range of topics, yet essential, in Computational Finance (CF), understood as a mix of Finance, Computational Statistics, and Mathematics of Finance. In that regard it is unique in its kind, for it touches upon the basic principles of all three main components of CF, with hands-on examples for programming models in R. Thus, the first chapter gives an introduction to the Principles of Corporate Finance: the markets of stock and options, valuation and economic theory, framed within Computation and Information Theory (e.g. the famous Efficient Market Hypothesis is stated in terms of computational complexity, a new perspective). Chapters 2 and 3 give the necessary tools of Statistics for analyzing financial time series, it also goes in depth into the concepts of correlation, causality and clustering. Chapters 4 and 5 review the most important discrete and continuous models for financial time series. Each model is provided with an example program in R. Chapter 6 covers the essentials of Technical Analysis (TA) and Fundamental Analysis. This chapter is suitable for people outside academics and into the world of financial investments, as a primer in the methods of charting and analysis of value for stocks, as it is done in the financial industry. Moreover, a mathematical foundation to the seemly ad-hoc methods of TA is given, and this is new in a presentation of TA. Chapter 7 reviews the most important heuristics for optimization: simulated annealing, genetic programming, and ant colonies (swarm intelligence) which is material to feed the computer savvy readers. Chapter 8 gives the basic principles of portfolio management, through the mean-variance model, and optimization under different constraints which is a topic of current research in computation, due to its complexity. One important aspect of this chapter is that it teaches how to use the powerful tools for portfolio analysis from the RMetrics R-package. Chapter 9 is a natural continuation of chapter 8 into the new area of research of online portfolio selection. The basic model of the universal portfolio of Cover and approximate methods to compute are also described.

Any financial asset that is openly traded has a market price. Except for extreme market conditions, market price may be more or less than a “fair” value. Fair value is likely to be some complicated function of the current intrinsic value of tangible or intangible assets underlying the claim and our assessment of the characteristics of the underlying assets with respect to the expected rate of growth, future dividends, volatility, and other relevant market factors. Some of these factors that affect the price can be measured at the time of a transaction with reasonably high accuracy. Most factors, however, relate to expectations about the future and to subjective issues, such as current management, corporate policies and market environment, that could affect the future financial performance of the underlying assets. Models are thus needed to describe the stochastic factors and environment, and their implementations inevitably require computational finance tools.