We develop and implement a technique for closed-form maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) of multifactor affine yield models. We derive closed-form approximations to likelihoods for nine Dai and Singleton (2000) affine models. Simulations show our technique very accurately approximates true (but infeasible) MLE. Using US Treasury data, we estimate nine affine yield models with different market price of risk specifications. MLE allows non-nested model comparison using likelihood ratio tests; the preferred model depends on the market price of risk. Estimation with simulated and real data suggests our technique is much closer to true MLE than Euler and quasi-maximum likelihood (QML) methods.

This volume contains a selection of 128 papers presented in lectures during the international scientific symposium "Operations Research 2005" (OR 2005) held at the University of Bremen, September 7-9, 2005. This international conference took place under the auspices of the German Operations Research Society (GOR). The symposium had about 600 participants from countries all over the world. It attracted academics and practitioners working in various fields of Operations Research and provided them with the most recent advances in Operations Research as well as related areas in Economics, Mathematics, and Computer Science including the special interest streams Logistics and New Maritime Businesses. The program consisted of 3 plenary and 15 semi-plenary talks and about 400 contributed presentations selected by the program committee to be presented in 20 sections.

This book is a collection of teaching cases on two Chinese companies, UFIDA and Founder. The cases describe the management practices of typical Chinese companies. UFIDA is a well-known company providing management software while Founder is a long-established high-tech company. The book aims at providing readers with original, first-hand materials, based on a theoretical framework, and broadening readers’ vision regarding China’s business niche in terms of culture, strategy, corporate governance, business environment, organizational dynamics, marketing, human resource, finance and the potential business partnerships with Chinese enterprises and the Chinese people. The cases are comprehensive and descriptive. This book appeals to top executives and leaders of multinational companies with ambitions to expand or already vested business interest in China. It is also of valuable use to companies specializing in international trade. The book provides insight into the great business opportunities in the development of China.

Covers applications to risky assets traded on the markets for funds, fixed-income products and electricity derivatives. Integrates the latest research and includes a new chapter on financial modeling.

Changing interest rates constitute one of the major risk sources for banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions. Modeling the term-structure movements of interest rates is a challenging task. This volume gives an introduction to the mathematics of term-structure models in continuous time. It includes practical aspects for fixed-income markets such as day-count conventions, duration of coupon-paying bonds and yield curve construction; arbitrage theory; short-rate models; the Heath-Jarrow-Morton methodology; consistent term-structure parametrizations; affine diffusion processes and option pricing with Fourier transform; LIBOR market models; and credit risk. The focus is on a mathematically straightforward but rigorous development of the theory. Students, researchers and practitioners will find this volume very useful. Each chapter ends with a set of exercises, that provides source for homework and exam questions. Readers are expected to be familiar with elementary Itô calculus, basic probability theory, and real and complex analysis.