Module manager: Dr Konstantinos Dareiotis
Email: K.Dareiotis@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2024/25
(MATH1710 or MATH2700) and MATH2750 Basic knowledge of Excel spreadsheets
| MATH3734 | Stochastic Calculus for Finance |
| MATH5320M | Discrete Time Finance |
| MATH5330M | Continuous Time Finance |
MATH3733 Stochastic Financial Modelling
This module is not approved as a discovery module
This module provides a rigorous exposition of fundamental mathematical aspects of stochastic calculus in continuous time and its applications to finance. Students will learn materials from mathematical analysis and probability theory which will be combined to derive key concepts in stochastic analysis as, e.g., stochastic differential equations. Further, the module will review applications of stochastic calculus in actuarial and financial models and will address some examples of stochastic control problems.
Stochastic calculus is one of the main mathematical tools to model physical, biological and financial phenomena (among other things). This module provides a rigorous exposition of the fundamental results from this theory. Students will acquire a solid understanding of advanced concepts as, e.g., martingales, stochastic integration and stochastic differential equations. Further, this module will review some applications of the theory in the context of stochastic control problems and mathematical finance.
1. Obtain an overview of modern probability theory via basic measure theory and basic functional analysis (including L2-spaces)
2. Understand the following mathematical concepts: martingales, stopping times, Brownian motion and Itô's formula.
3. Understand key results concerning stochastic differential equations (SDEs): existence and uniqueness of solutions.
4. Draw links between SDEs and partial differential equations
5. Use SDEs to model financial assets and price simple derivatives, e.g., European vanilla options
6. Use SDEs to model markets with stochastic interest rates and, in this context, price Zero Coupon Bonds
7. Use of Excel spreadsheet for simulation of SDEs and applications to option pricing
1. Preliminaries: Elements of measure theoretic probability.
2. Brownian motion: construction and properties of its trajectories.
3. Martingales and stopping times: optional sampling theorem, Doob's inequality.
4. Itô calculus: Construction of Itô's integral and its properties. Itô's formula.
5. Stochastic differential equations (SDEs): existence and uniqueness of solutions.
6. Links between Ito calculus and PDE theory: Feynman-Kac formula, maximum principle.
7. Applications of SDEs to mathematical finance (part 1): Black and Scholes model and European vanilla options.
8. Applications of SDEs to mathematical finance (part 2): stochastic models of interest rates (CIR and Vasicek models for spot rates).
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 44 | 1 | 44 |
| Practical | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Private study hours | 154 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 46 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Study course material and complete assignments. Attempt exercise sheets in advance of tutorial classes. Reading as directed. Review of Excel basic commands as advised in preparation for practical sessions and coursework.
Regular problem sheets
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Exercise | To be based on the use of spreadsheet software | 15 |
| Assignment | To be based on a set of questions based on the course material | 5 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 20 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
| Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc) | 3.0 Hrs 0 Mins | 80 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 80 | |
Examination material for level 3 (MATH3734) and level 5 (MATH5734M) module is partly shared. Exams should be timetabled at the same time (but level 5 exam is longer).
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 4/29/2024
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team