An Introduction to Quantitative Finance

The worlds of Wall Street and The City have always held a certain allure, but in recent years have left an indelible mark on the wider public consciousness and there has been a need to become more financially literate.The quantitative nature of complex financial transactions makes them a fascinating subject area for mathematicians of all types, whether for general interest or because of the enormous monetary rewards on offer.An Introduction to Quantitative Finance concerns financial derivatives - a derivative being a contract between two entities whose value derives from the price of an underlying financial asset - and the probabilistic tools that were developed to analyse them.The theory in the text is motivated by a desire to provide a suitably rigorous yet accessible foundation to tackle problems the author encountered whilst trading derivatives on Wall Street.The book combines an unusual blend of real-world derivatives trading experience and rigorous academic background.Probability provides the key tools for analysing and valuing derivatives.The price of a derivative is closely linked to the expected value of its pay-out, and suitably scaled derivative prices are martingales, fundamentally important objects in probability theory.The prerequisite for mastering the material is an introductory undergraduate course in probability.The book is otherwise self-contained and in particular requires no additional preparation or exposure to finance.It is suitable for a one-semester course, quickly exposing readers to powerful theory and substantive problems.The book may also appeal to students who have enjoyed probability and have a desire to see how it can be applied.Signposts are given throughout the text to more advanced topics and to different approaches for those looking to take the subject further.