An ideal introduction for those starting out as practitioners of mathematical finance, this book provides a clear understanding of the intuition behind derivatives pricing, how models are implemented, and how they are used and adapted in practice. Strengths and weaknesses of different models, e.g. Black-Scholes, stochastic volatility, jump-diffusion and variance gamma, are examined. Both the theory and the implementation of the industry-standard LIBOR market model are considered in detail. Each pricing problem is approached using multiple techniques including the well-known PDE and martingale approaches. This second edition contains many more worked examples and over 200 exercises with detailed solutions. Extensive appendices provide a guide to jargon, a recap of the elements of probability theory, and a collection of computer projects. The author brings to this book a blend of practical experience and rigorous mathematical background and supplies here the working knowledge needed to become a good quantitative analyst.

• Covers both martingale and PDE approaches to the subject and discusses multiple approaches to each problem • Spends a lot of time on the underlying ideas and intuition behind the models; includes computer projects • Covers alternative models such as stochastic volatility, jump diffusion and variance gamma as well as the conventional Black–Scholes

Contents
Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Risk; 2. Pricing methodologies and arbitrage; 3. Trees and option pricing; 4. Practicalities; 5. The Ito calculus; 6. Risk neutrality and martingale measures; 7. The practical pricing of a European option; 8. Continuous barrier options; 9. Multi-look exotic options; 10. Static replication; 11. Multiple sources of risk; 12. Options with early exercise features; 13. Interest rate derivatives; 14. The pricing of exotic interest rate derivatives; 15. Incomplete markets and jump-diffusion processes; 16. Stochastic volatility; 17. Variance gamma models; 18. Smile dynamics and the pricing of exotic options; Appendix A. Financial and mathematical jargon; Appendix B. Computer projects; Appendix C. Elements of probability theory; Appendix D. Hints and answers to exercises; Bibliography; Index.