Not available in 2017/18
MA322      Half Unit
Mathematics of Finance and Valuation

This information is for the 2017/18 session.

Teacher responsible

Prof Martin Anthony COL 3.13

Availability

This course is available on the BSc in Business Mathematics and Statistics, BSc in Financial Mathematics and Statistics, BSc in Mathematics and Economics and BSc in Mathematics with Economics. This course is available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course is available with permission to General Course students.

Pre-requisites

Students must have completed Measure Theoretic Probability (MA321).

Course content

This course provides the mathematical tools of stochastic calculus and develops the Black-Scholes theory of financial markets. It covers the following topics. Continuous-time stochastic processes, filtrations, stopping times, super-, sub- and martingales, examples. Brownian motion, properties, Markov property. Construction of the stochastic/Ito integral, simple integrands, Derivation of Ito's isometry, Ito processes, Derivation of Ito's formula, stochastic differential equations. Changes of probability measure, Radon-Nikodym derivative, Bayes' rule, Girsanov's theorem. Black-Scholes model: self-financing portfolios, fundamental theorem of asset pricing, risk neutral measure, existence of replicating strategies via martingale representation, risk neutral valuation of European contingent claims, Black-Scholes formula, Black-Scholes PDE, Greeks, delta hedging. PDE techniques for pathwise derivatives: barrier and Asian options. Implied volatility, Dupire’s formula, local volatility, basic idea of calibration, variations of the Black-Scholes model.

Teaching

22 hours of lectures and 10 hours of classes in the LT.

Formative coursework

Students will be expected to produce 10 problem sets in the LT.

Indicative reading

Lecture notes will be provided.

The following books may be useful.

T. Bjork, Arbitrage Theory in Continuous Time, Oxford Finance, 2004;

A. Etheridge, A Course in Financial Calculus, CUP, 2002;

M Baxter & A Rennie, Financial Calculus, CUP, 1996;

P. Wilmott, S. Howison & J. Dewynne, The Mathematics of Financial Derivatives, CUP, 1995;

J Hull, Options, Futures and Other Derivatives, 6th edition, Prentice-Hall, 2005.

D. Lamberton & B. Lapeyre, Introduction to stochastic calculus applied to finance, 2nd edition, Chapman & Hall, 2008.

S. E. Shreve, Stochastic Calculus for Finance. Volume I: The Binomial Asset Pricing Model. Springer, New York, 2004.

S. E. Shreve, Stochastic Calculus for Finance. Volume II: Continuous-Time Models. Springer, New York, 2004.

Assessment

Other (100%).

Exam (100%) in the ST.

Key facts

Department: Mathematics

Total students 2016/17: Unavailable

Average class size 2016/17: Unavailable

Capped 2016/17: No

Value: Half Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

PDAM skills

  • Self-management
  • Problem solving
  • Communication
  • Application of numeracy skills
  • Specialist skills