Obtaining the best from Regulation and Competition
Deregulation has introduced competition into traditionally monopolistic markets, particularly telecommunications and electric utilities. This book brings together ten essays that were presented at the Center for Research in Regulated Industries at Rutgers University and funded by several regulated companies. The authors, who include young scholars as well as established and highly regarded consultants and researchers, address some of the major issues now facing network industries and regulators - deregulation, competition, stranded assets, diversification, pricing, and mergers and acquisitions.
Numerical Methods in Finance
The use of mathematical models and numerical techniques in finance is a growing practice, and an increasing number of applied mathematicians are working on applications in finance and business. This book presents some exciting developments arising from the combination of mathematics, numerical analysis, and finance. It covers a wide range of topics, from portfolio management and asset pricing, to performance, risk, debt and real option evaluation. It also presents applications of a variety of cutting edge approaches and techniques, including robust control, min-max optimisation, Bessel processes, stochastic viability, variational inequalities, and Monte-Carlo test techniques. The book also presents surveys of models and approaches in specific areas in finance, such as corporate debt valuation and portfolio selection
Mutual Funds : Fifty Years of Research Findings
"This book presents an outstanding wealth of information on mutual funds in a remarkably readable format. It is probably the most comprehensive work currently available on funds. The book sheds light on the numerous issues surrounding mutual fund performance and pricing and is an important resource for any serious investor."
Multidimensional Screening
The book brings into a focus all necessary mathematical knowledge necessary to understand the economics of multidimensional results screening and applies them straightaway to economic models. The first part of this book contains a review of vector calculus, the theory of partial differential equations, and the theory of generalized convexity. These techniques are extensively used in multidimensional screening models. Part II is devoted to the economics of sceening models. It starts with a detailed discussion of economics and mathematics of unidimensional screening problems and three approaches to their solution: direct, dual, and Hamiltonian. It uses the Hamiltonian approach to unify all known results, which were previously obtained using different arguments. Then the major difficulties with direct and dual approach in the multidimensional context are discussed and the Hamiltonian approach is used to provide the most complete characterization of the solution known in the literature.
Mathematics of Financial Markets
This book presents the mathematics that underpins pricing models for derivative securities, such as options, futures and swaps, in modern financial markets. The idealized continuous-time models built upon the famous Black-Scholes theory require sophisticated mathematical tools drawn from modern stochastic calculus. However, many of the underlying ideas can be explained more simply within a discrete-time framework. This is developed extensively in this substantially revised second edition to motivate the technically more demanding continuous-time theory, which includes a detailed analysis of the Black-Scholes model and its generalizations, American put options, term structure models and consumption-investment problems. The mathematics of martingales and stochastic calculus is developed where it is needed.
Mathematical Models of Financial Derivatives
Mathematical Models of Financial Derivatives is a textbook on the theory behind modeling derivatives using the financial engineering approach, focussing on the martingale pricing principles that are common to most derivative securities. A wide range of financial derivatives commonly traded in the equity and fixed income markets are analyzed, emphasizing on the aspects of pricing, hedging and their risk management. Starting from the renowned Black-Scholes-Merton formulation of option pricing model, readers are guided through the text on the new advances on the state-of-the-art derivative pricing models and interest rate models. Both analytic techniques and numerical methods for solving various types of derivative pricing models are emphasized.
Irreversible Decisions under Uncertainty : Optimal Stopping Made Easy
In real life, as well as in economic models, individuals often make decisions in an uncertain environment. In many cases, a problem which an optimizing agent faces can be formulated or reformulated as a problem of optimal timing of a certain irreversible or partially reversible action or optimal stopping problem. In this book, the authors present an alternative approach to optimal stopping problems. The basic ideas and techniques of the approach can be explained much simpler than the standard methods in the literature on optimal stopping problems. The monograph will teach the reader to apply the technique to many problems in economics and finance, including new ones. From the technical point of view, the method can be characterized as option pricing via the Wiener-Hopf factorization.
Investment valuation and asset pricing : Models and methods
Offers an overview of original works on foundational asset pricing studies that follows their historical publication chronologically throughout the text. Each chapter stays close to the original works of these major authors, including quotations, examples, graphical exhibits, and empirical results. Additionally, it includes statistical concepts and methods as applied to finance. These statistical materials are crucial to learning asset pricing, which often applies statistical tests to evaluate different asset pricing models.
Introduction to Stochastic Calculus for Finance : A New Didactic Approach
The justifcation is mainly pedagogical. These lecture notes start with an elementary approach to stochastic calculus due to Föllmer, who showed that one can develop Ito's calculus "pathwise" as an exercise in real analysis. The text opens to students interested in finance a quick (but by no means "dirty") road to the tools required for advanced finance in continuous time, including option pricing by martingale methods, term structure models in a HJM-framework and the Libor market model.
Internet and Network Economics ; Vol. 3828 : 1st International Workshop, WINE 2005, Hong Kong, China, December 15-17, 2005, Proceedings
Consists of the main program of 31 papers, of which the submitter email accounts are: 10 from edu (USA) accounts, 3 from hk (Hong Kong), 2 each from il (Isreal), cn (China), ch (Switzerland), de (Germany), jp (Japan), gr (Greece), 1 each from hp. com, sohu. com, pl (Poland), fr (France), ca (Canada), and in (India). In addition, 77 papers from 20 countries or regions and 6 dot. coms were selected for 16 special focus tracks in the areas of Internet and Algorithmic Economics; E-Commerce Protocols; Security; Collaboration, Reputation and Social Networks; Algorithmic Mechanism; Financial Computing; Auction Algorithms; Online Algorithms; Collective Rationality; Pricing Policies; Web Mining Strategies; Network Economics; Coalition Strategies; Internet Protocols; Price Sequence; Equilibrium.
Interest Rate Models - Theory and Practice : With Smile, Inflation and Credit
The fast-growing interest for hybrid products has led to new chapters. A special focus here is devoted to the pricing of inflation-linked derivatives. The three final new chapters are devoted to credit. Since Credit Derivatives are increasingly fundamental, and since in the reduced-form modeling framework much of the technique involved is analogous to interest-rate modeling, Credit Derivatives -- mostly Credit Default Swaps (CDS), CDS Options and Constant Maturity CDS - are discussed, building on the basic short rate-models and market models introduced earlier for the default-free market. Counterparty risk in interest rate payoff valuation is also considered, motivated by the recent Basel II framework developments.
Innovations in Derivatives Markets : Fixed Income Modeling, Valuation Adjustments, Risk Management, and Regulation
This book presents 20 peer-reviewed chapters on current aspects of derivatives markets and derivative pricing. The contributions, written by leading researchers in the field as well as experienced authors from the financial industry, present the state of the art in: • Modeling counterparty credit risk: credit valuation adjustment, debit valuation adjustment, funding valuation adjustment, and wrong way risk. • Pricing and hedging in fixed-income markets and multi-curve interest-rate modeling. • Recent developments concerning contingent convertible bonds, the measuring of basis spreads, and the modeling of implied correlations.
Information and communication technologies in tourism 2006 ; Proceedings of the International Conference in Lausanne, Switzerland, 2006
This collection of papers presented at the 13th ENTER Conference represents a unique opportunity of sharing knowledge with researchers bridging the fields of travel and tourism, and information and communication technologies. This year’s 40 full research papers and 23 work in progress presentations cover the following topics: meta research and education; guides and information systems; website design; behaviour analysis; website evaluation; usability and accessibility; technology adoption by enterprises; pricing; information requirements; knowledge management; decision support and recommender systems; website evaluation; customer support and service; technology adoption by customers; business models, and marketing.
Implementing Models in Quantitative Finance : Methods and Cases
This book puts numerical methods into action for the purpose of solving concrete problems arising in quantitative finance. Part one develops a comprehensive toolkit including Monte Carlo simulation, numerical schemes for partial differential equations, stochastic optimization in discrete time, copula functions, transform-based methods and quadrature techniques. The content originates from class notes written for courses on numerical methods for finance and exotic derivative pricing held by the authors at Bocconi University since the year 2000. Part two proposes eighteen self-contained cases covering model simulation, derivative valuation, dynamic hedging, portfolio selection, risk management, statistical estimation and model calibration. It encompasses a wide variety of problems arising in markets for equity, interest rates, credit risk, energy and exotic derivatives.
Hidden Markov Models in Finance
A number of methodologies have been employed to provide decision making solutions to a whole assortment of financial problems in today's globalized markets. Hidden Markov Models in Finance by Mamon and Elliott will be the first systematic application of these methods to some special kinds of financial problems; namely, pricing options and variance swaps, valuation of life insurance policies, interest rate theory, credit risk modeling, risk management, analysis of future demand and inventory level, testing foreign exchange rate hypothesis, and early warning systems for currency crises.
Hedonic Methods in Housing Markets : Pricing Environmental Amenities and Segregation
Cities are growing worldwide and their sprawl is increasingly challenged for its pressure on open spaces and environmental quality. Economic arguments can help to decide about the trade-off between preserving environmental quality and developing housing and business surfaces, provided the benefits of environmental quality are adequately quantified. To this end, this book focuses on the use and advancement of the "hedonic approach", an economic valuation technique that analyses and quantifies the sources of rent and property price differentials. Starting from theoretical foundations, the hedonic approach is applied to the valuation of natural land use preservation and noise abatement measures, as well as to residential segregation and discrimination, extending the analysis to the role of the buyers' and sellers' identity on housing market prices and to the issue of environmental justice.
Health services marketing : A practitioner's guide
Health Services Marketing: A Practitioner’s Guide clearly and succinctly explains the range of marketing activities and techniques, from promotions to pricing, so any health professional can learn to navigate this bewildering but increasingly important aspect of healthcare.
Freelancing platform = منصة للأعمال الحرة
The digital era has seen a significant rise in freelancing, providing a flexible and accessible employment model for professionals worldwide. This project introduces an advanced freelancing platform designed to enhance the interaction between freelancers and clients. By employing a microservices architecture, the platform ensures a seamless, efficient, and secure environment for managing project collaborations, communications, and payment processes. The platform supports three primary user roles: Administrators, Freelancers, and Users. Administrators oversee comprehensive system management, including user accounts, service categories, platform settings, and financial transactions. Freelancers can create detailed profiles showcasing their skills, experiences, and portfolios, and publish services with clear descriptions, pricing, and Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Users can post service requests, outlining project requirements and budgets, enabling freelancers to apply and engage in these projects.
Financial Markets in Continuous Time
In modern financial practice, asset prices are modelled by means of stochastic processes, and continuous-time stochastic calculus thus plays a central role in financial modelling. This approach has its roots in the foundational work of the Nobel laureates Black, Scholes and Merton. Asset prices are further assumed to be rationalizable, that is, determined by equality of demand and supply on some market. This approach has its roots in the foundational work on General Equilibrium of the Nobel laureates Arrow and Debreu and in the work of McKenzie. This book has four parts.
Estimation of Willingness-to-Pay : Theory, Measurement, Application
To determine the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for products and/or services from a customer perspective is crucial for modern approaches to pricing.With the Price Estimation scene (PE scene) Christoph Breidert introduces a new method to estimate WTP. It works as an additional interview scene appended to conjoint analysis and offers the respondents a dynamically generated sequence of product choices with assigned prices.



















