Elke Korn

Offering a unique balance between applications and calculations, Monte Carlo Methods and Models in Finance and Insurance incorporates the application background of finance and insurance with the theory and applications of Monte Carlo methods. It presents recent methods and algorithms, including the multilevel Monte Carlo method, the statistical Romberg method, and the Heath–Platen estimator, as well as recent financial and actuarial models, such as the Cheyette and dynamic mortality models. The authors separately discuss Monte Carlo techniques, stochastic process basics, and the theoretical background and intuition behind financial and actuarial mathematics, before bringing the topics together to apply the Monte Carlo methods to areas of finance and insurance. This allows for the easy identification of standard Monte Carlo tools and for a detailed focus on the main principles of financial and insurance mathematics. The book describes high-level Monte Carlo methods for standard simulation and the simulation of stochastic processes with continuous and discontinuous paths. It also covers a wide selection of popular models in finance and insurance, from Black–Scholes to stochastic volatility to interest rate to dynamic mortality. Through its many numerical and graphical illustrations and simple, insightful examples, this book provides a deep understanding of the scope of Monte Carlo methods and their use in various financial situations. The intuitive presentation encourages readers to implement and further develop the simulation methods.

Offering a unique balance between applications and calculations, Monte Carlo Methods and Models in Finance and Insurance incorporates the application background of finance and insurance with the theory and applications of Monte Carlo methods. It presents recent methods and algorithms, including the multilevel Monte Carlo method, the statistical Romberg method, and the Heath–Platen estimator, as well as recent financial and actuarial models, such as the Cheyette and dynamic mortality models. The authors separately discuss Monte Carlo techniques, stochastic process basics, and the theoretical background and intuition behind financial and actuarial mathematics, before bringing the topics together to apply the Monte Carlo methods to areas of finance and insurance. This allows for the easy identification of standard Monte Carlo tools and for a detailed focus on the main principles of financial and insurance mathematics. The book describes high-level Monte Carlo methods for standard simulation and the simulation of stochastic processes with continuous and discontinuous paths. It also covers a wide selection of popular models in finance and insurance, from Black–Scholes to stochastic volatility to interest rate to dynamic mortality. Through its many numerical and graphical illustrations and simple, insightful examples, this book provides a deep understanding of the scope of Monte Carlo methods and their use in various financial situations. The intuitive presentation encourages readers to implement and further develop the simulation methods.

Es werden die typischen Aufgabenstellungen der zeitstetigen Modellierung von Finanzmärkten wie Optionsbewertung (insbesondere auch die Black-Scholes-Formel und zugehörige Varianten) und Portfolio-Optimierung (Bestimmen optimaler Investmentstrategien) behandelt. Die benötigten mathematischen Werkzeuge (wie z. B. Brownsche Bewegung, Martingaltheorie, Ito-Kalkül, stochastische Steuerung) werden in selbständigen Exkursen bereitgestellt. Das Buch eignet sich als Grundlage einer Vorlesung, die sich an einen Grundkurs in Stochastik anschließt. Es richtet sich an Mathematiker, Finanz- und Wirtschaftsmathematiker in Studium und Beruf und ist aufgrund seiner modularen Struktur auch für Praktiker in den Bereichen Banken und Versicherungen geeignet.

Understanding and working with the current models of financial markets requires a sound knowledge of the mathematical tools and ideas from which they are built. Banks and financial houses all over the world recognize this and are avidly recruiting mathematicians, physicists, and other scientists with these skills. The mathematics involved in modern finance springs from the heart of probability and analysis: the Ito calculus, stochastic control, differential equations, martingales, and so on. The authors give rigorous treatments of these topics, while always keeping the applications in mind. Thus, the way in which the mathematics is developed is governed by the way it will be used, rather than by the goal of optimal generality. Indeed, most of purely mathematical topics are treated in extended 'excursions' from the applications into the theory. Thus, with the main topic of financial modelling and optimization in view, the reader also obtains a self-contained and complete introduction to the underlying mathematics. This book is specifically designed as a graduate textbook. It could be used for the second part of a course in probability theory, as it includes an applied introduction to the basics of stochastic processes (martingales and Brownian motion) and stochastic calculus. It would also be suitable for a course in continuous-time finance that assumes familiarity with stochastic processes. The prerequisites are basic probability theory and calculus. Some background in stochastic processes would be useful, but not essential.