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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2013/2014 -
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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Mathematics : Mathematics

Postgraduate Course: Discrete-Time Finance (MATH11075)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Mathematics CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Course typeStandard AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) Credits15
Home subject areaMathematics Other subject areaFinancial Mathematics
Course website None Taught in Gaelic?No
Course descriptionTo introduce, in a discrete time setting, the basic probabilistic ideas and results needed for the later stochastic process and derivative pricing courses. By the end of the course students will be expected to understand discrete martingale theory and its relationship with financial concepts such as arbitrage.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements MSc Financial Mathematics and MSc Financial Modelling and Optimization students only.
Additional Costs None
Course Delivery Information
Delivery period: 2013/14 Semester 1, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Learn enabled:  Yes Quota:  None
Web Timetable Web Timetable
Course Start Date 16/09/2013
Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 150 ( Lecture Hours 34, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 3, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 111 )
Additional Notes
Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) Written Exam 100 %, Coursework 0 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours:Minutes
Main Exam Diet S1 (December)MSc Financial Maths Discrete Time Finance2:00
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
- identify and solve problems involving conditional expectation
- demonstrate a thorough understanding of the Cox-Ross-Rubinstein binomial model and apply it to option pricing problems
- demonstrate an understanding of the role of the risk-neutral pricing measure
- demonstrate an understanding of the main aspects of discrete-time martingale theory
- demonstrate an understanding of the Doob's Optional Stopping Theorem
- critical understanding of the Cox-Ross-Rubinstein model
- conceptual understanding of the role of the risk-neutral pricing measure
- conceptual understanding of the role of equivalent martingale measures in financial mathematics
- conceptual understanding of the Optional Stopping problem.
Assessment Information
See 'Breakdown of Assessment Methods' and 'Additional Notes', above.
Special Arrangements
MSc Financial Mathematics and MSc Financial Modelling and Optimization students only.
Additional Information
Academic description Not entered
Syllabus I. Theory
Introduction to background probability theory.
Conditional expectation.
Discrete parameter martingales, sub- and supermartingales, martingale convergence and inequalities.
Stopping Times, Optional Stopping Theorem, Snell Envelopes
Stopping times and Doob's Optional Stopping Theorem
Central limit theorem (CLT)
Laws of large numbers (LLN)
II. Applications
Arbitrage and martingales, risk neutral measures.
Complete markets and discrete option pricing.
The binary tree model of Cox, Ross and Rubinstein for European and American option pricing (discrete Black-Scholes).
Dividends in the binomial models
Trinomial model (incomplete markets
Convergence of the CRR to the Black-Scholes model
Transferable skills Not entered
Reading list Williams, D. (1991). Probability with Martingales. CUP.
Bingham, N.H. & Kiesel, R. (2004). Risk-Neutral Valuation. Pricing and Hedging of Financial Derivatives. Springer.
Baxter, M. & Rennie, A. (1996). Financial Calculus. CUP.
Lamberton, D. & Lapeyre, B. (1996). Introduction to Stochastic Calculus Applied to Finance. Chapman & Hall.
Study Abroad Not Applicable.
Study Pattern Not entered
KeywordsDTF
Contacts
Course organiserDr Sotirios Sabanis
Tel: (0131 6)50 5084
Email: S.Sabanis@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMrs Kathryn Mcphail
Tel: (0131 6)50 4885
Email: k.mcphail@ed.ac.uk
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