The Money Formula

The Money Formula PDF

Author: Paul Wilmott

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2017-06-12

Total Pages: 279

ISBN-13: 1119358612

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Explore the deadly elegance of finance's hidden powerhouse The Money Formula takes you inside the engine room of the global economy to explore the little-understood world of quantitative finance, and show how the future of our economy rests on the backs of this all-but-impenetrable industry. Written not from a post-crisis perspective – but from a preventative point of view – this book traces the development of financial derivatives from bonds to credit default swaps, and shows how mathematical formulas went beyond pricing to expand their use to the point where they dwarfed the real economy. You'll learn how the deadly allure of their ice-cold beauty has misled generations of economists and investors, and how continued reliance on these formulas can either assist future economic development, or send the global economy into the financial equivalent of a cardiac arrest. Rather than rehash tales of post-crisis fallout, this book focuses on preventing the next one. By exploring the heart of the shadow economy, you'll be better prepared to ride the rough waves of finance into the turbulent future. Delve into one of the world's least-understood but highest-impact industries Understand the key principles of quantitative finance and the evolution of the field Learn what quantitative finance has become, and how it affects us all Discover how the industry's next steps dictate the economy's future How do you create a quadrillion dollars out of nothing, blow it away and leave a hole so large that even years of "quantitative easing" can't fill it – and then go back to doing the same thing? Even amidst global recovery, the financial system still has the potential to seize up at any moment. The Money Formula explores the how and why of financial disaster, what must happen to prevent the next one.

Quantum Economics

Quantum Economics PDF

Author: David Orrell

Publisher: Icon Books

Published: 2018-07-05

Total Pages: 249

ISBN-13: 1785784005

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A decade after the financial crisis, there is a growing consensus that economics has failed and needs to go back to the drawing board. David Orrell argues that it has been trying to solve the wrong problem all along. Economics sees itself as the science of scarcity. Instead, it should be the science of money (which plays a surprisingly small role in mainstream theory). And money is a substance that turns out to have a quantum nature of its own. Just as physicists learn about matter by studying the exchange of particles at the subatomic level, so economics should begin by analysing the nature of money-based transactions. Quantum Economics therefore starts with the meaning of the phrase 'how much' – or, to use the Latin word, quantum. From quantum physics to the dualistic properties of money, via the emerging areas of quantum finance and quantum cognition, this profoundly important book reveals that quantum economics is to neoclassical economics what quantum physics is to classical physics – a genuine turning point in our understanding.

Trading at the Speed of Light

Trading at the Speed of Light PDF

Author: Donald MacKenzie

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2023-01-31

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 0691217785

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A remarkable look at how the growth, technology, and politics of high-frequency trading have altered global financial markets In today’s financial markets, trading floors on which brokers buy and sell shares face-to-face have increasingly been replaced by lightning-fast electronic systems that use algorithms to execute astounding volumes of transactions. Trading at the Speed of Light tells the story of this epic transformation. Donald MacKenzie shows how in the 1990s, in what were then the disreputable margins of the US financial system, a new approach to trading—automated high-frequency trading or HFT—began and then spread throughout the world. HFT has brought new efficiency to global trading, but has also created an unrelenting race for speed, leading to a systematic, subterranean battle among HFT algorithms. In HFT, time is measured in nanoseconds (billionths of a second), and in a nanosecond the fastest possible signal—light in a vacuum—can travel only thirty centimeters, or roughly a foot. That makes HFT exquisitely sensitive to the length and transmission capacity of the cables connecting computer servers to the exchanges’ systems and to the location of the microwave towers that carry signals between computer datacenters. Drawing from more than 300 interviews with high-frequency traders, the people who supply them with technological and communication capabilities, exchange staff, regulators, and many others, MacKenzie reveals the extraordinary efforts expended to speed up every aspect of trading. He looks at how in some markets big banks have fought off the challenge from HFT firms, and how exchanges sometimes engineer technical systems to favor certain types of algorithms over others. Focusing on the material, political, and economic characteristics of high-frequency trading, Trading at the Speed of Light offers a unique glimpse into its influence on global finance and where it could lead us in the future.

Paul Wilmott on Quantitative Finance

Paul Wilmott on Quantitative Finance PDF

Author: Paul Wilmott

Publisher: Wiley

Published: 2000-06-20

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780471874386

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The only comprehensive reference encompassing both traditional and new derivatives and financial engineering techniques Based on the author's hugely successful Derivatives: The Theory and Practice of Financial Engineering, Paul Wilmott on Quantitative Finance is the definitive guide to derivatives and related financial products. In addition to fully updated and expanded coverage of all the topics covered in the first book, this two-volume set also includes sixteen entirely new chapters covering such crucial areas as stochastic control and derivatives, utility theory, stochastic volatility and utility, mortgages, real options, power derivatives, weather derivatives, insurance derivatives, and more. Wilmott has also added clear, detailed explanations of all the mathematical procedures readers need to know in order to use the techniques he describes. Paul Wilmott, Dphil (Oxford, UK), is one of Europe's leading writers and consultants in the area of financial mathematics. He is also head of Wilmott Associates, a leading international financial consulting firm whose clients include Citibank, IBM, Bank of Montreal, Momura, Daiwa, Maxima, Dresdner Klienwort Benson, Origenes, and Siembra.

Quantitative Finance For Dummies

Quantitative Finance For Dummies PDF

Author: Steve Bell

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2016-06-07

Total Pages: 408

ISBN-13: 1118769430

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An accessible, thorough introduction to quantitative finance Does the complex world of quantitative finance make you quiver?You're not alone! It's a tough subject for even high-levelfinancial gurus to grasp, but Quantitative Finance ForDummies offers plain-English guidance on making sense ofapplying mathematics to investing decisions. With this completeguide, you'll gain a solid understanding of futures, options andrisk, and get up-to-speed on the most popular equations, methods,formulas and models (such as the Black-Scholes model) that areapplied in quantitative finance. Also known as mathematical finance, quantitative finance is thefield of mathematics applied to financial markets. It's a highlytechnical discipline—but almost all investment companies andhedge funds use quantitative methods. This fun and friendly guidebreaks the subject of quantitative finance down to easilydigestible parts, making it approachable for personal investors andfinance students alike. With the help of Quantitative FinanceFor Dummies, you'll learn the mathematical skills necessary forsuccess with quantitative finance, the most up-to-date portfolioand risk management applications and everything you need to knowabout basic derivatives pricing. Covers the core models, formulas and methods used inquantitative finance Includes examples and brief exercises to help augment yourunderstanding of QF Provides an easy-to-follow introduction to the complex world ofquantitative finance Explains how QF methods are used to define the current marketvalue of a derivative security Whether you're an aspiring quant or a top-tier personalinvestor, Quantitative Finance For Dummies is your go-toguide for coming to grips with QF/risk management.

How I Became a Quant

How I Became a Quant PDF

Author: Richard R. Lindsey

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2011-01-11

Total Pages: 406

ISBN-13: 1118044754

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Praise for How I Became a Quant "Led by two top-notch quants, Richard R. Lindsey and Barry Schachter, How I Became a Quant details the quirky world of quantitative analysis through stories told by some of today's most successful quants. For anyone who might have thought otherwise, there are engaging personalities behind all that number crunching!" --Ira Kawaller, Kawaller & Co. and the Kawaller Fund "A fun and fascinating read. This book tells the story of how academics, physicists, mathematicians, and other scientists became professional investors managing billions." --David A. Krell, President and CEO, International Securities Exchange "How I Became a Quant should be must reading for all students with a quantitative aptitude. It provides fascinating examples of the dynamic career opportunities potentially open to anyone with the skills and passion for quantitative analysis." --Roy D. Henriksson, Chief Investment Officer, Advanced Portfolio Management "Quants"--those who design and implement mathematical models for the pricing of derivatives, assessment of risk, or prediction of market movements--are the backbone of today's investment industry. As the greater volatility of current financial markets has driven investors to seek shelter from increasing uncertainty, the quant revolution has given people the opportunity to avoid unwanted financial risk by literally trading it away, or more specifically, paying someone else to take on the unwanted risk. How I Became a Quant reveals the faces behind the quant revolution, offering you?the?chance to learn firsthand what it's like to be a?quant today. In this fascinating collection of Wall Street war stories, more than two dozen quants detail their roots, roles, and contributions, explaining what they do and how they do it, as well as outlining the sometimes unexpected paths they have followed from the halls of academia to the front lines of an investment revolution.

The Thirteenth Step

The Thirteenth Step PDF

Author: Markus Heilig

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2015-05-12

Total Pages: 316

ISBN-13: 0231539029

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The past thirty years have witnessed a revolution in the science of addiction, yet we still rely on outdated methods of treatment. Expensive new programs for managing addiction are also flourishing, but since they are not based in science, they offer little benefit to people who cannot afford to lose money or faith in their recovery. Clarifying the cutting-edge science of addiction for both practitioners and general readers, The Thirteenth Step pairs stories of real patients with explanations of key concepts relating to their illness. A police chief who disappears on the job illustrates the process through which a drug can trigger the brain circuits mediating relapse. One person's effort to find a burrito shack in a foreign city illuminates the reward prediction error signaled by the brain chemical dopamine. With these examples and more, this volume paints a vivid, readable portrait of drug seeking, escalation, and other aspects of addiction and suggests science-based treatments that promise to improve troubling relapse rates. Merging science and human experience, The Thirteenth Step offers compassionate, valuable answers to anyone who hopes for a better handle on a confounding disease.

The Crisis of Crowding

The Crisis of Crowding PDF

Author: Ludwig B. Chincarini

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2012-07-30

Total Pages: 512

ISBN-13: 111828271X

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A rare analytical look at the financial crisis using simple analysis The economic crisis that began in 2008 revealed the numerous problems in our financial system, from the way mortgage loans were produced to the way Wall Street banks leveraged themselves. Curiously enough, however, most of the reasons for the banking collapse are very similar to the reasons that Long-Term Capital Management (LTCM), the largest hedge fund to date, collapsed in 1998. The Crisis of Crowding looks at LTCM in greater detail, with new information, for a more accurate perspective, examining how the subsequent hedge funds started by Meriwether and former partners were destroyed again by the lapse of judgement in allowing Lehman Brothers to fail. Covering the lessons that were ignored during LTCM's collapse but eventually connected to the financial crisis of 2008, the book presents a series of lessons for hedge funds and financial markets, including touching upon the circle of greed from homeowners to real estate agents to politicians to Wall Street. Guides the reader through the real story of Long-Term Capital Management with accurate descriptions, previously unpublished data, and interviews Describes the lessons that hedge funds, as well as the market, should have learned from LTCM's collapse Explores how the financial crisis and LTCM are a global phenomena rooted in failures to account for risk in crowded spaces with leverage Explains why quantitative finance is essential for every financial institution from risk management to valuation modeling to algorithmic trading Is filled with simple quantitative analysis about the financial crisis, from the Quant Crisis of 2007 to the failure of Lehman Brothers to the Flash Crash of 2010 A unique blend of storytelling and sound quantitative analysis, The Crisis of Crowding is one of the first books to offer an analytical look at the financial crisis rather than just an account of what happened. Also included are a layman's guide to the Dodd-Frank rules and what it means for the future, as well as an evaluation of the Fed's reaction to the crisis, QE1, QE2, and QE3.

The Myth of the Rational Market

The Myth of the Rational Market PDF

Author: Justin Fox

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2011-02-08

Total Pages: 418

ISBN-13: 0060599030

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The financial crisis of 2008 and subsequent Great Recession demolished many cherished beliefs—most significantly, the theory that financial markets always get things right. Justin Fox's The Myth of the Rational Market explains where that idea came from, and where it went wrong. As much an intellectual whodunit as a cultural history of the perils and possibilities of risk, it also brings to life the people and ideas that forged modern finance and investing—from the formative days of Wall Street through the Great Depression and into the financial calamities of today. It's a tale featuring professors who made and lost fortunes, battled fiercely over ideas, beat the house at blackjack, wrote bestselling books, and played major roles on the world stage. It's also a story of free-market capitalism's war with itself.

The Flaw of Averages

The Flaw of Averages PDF

Author: Sam L. Savage

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2012-03-13

Total Pages: 423

ISBN-13: 1118373588

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A must-read for anyone who makes business decisions that have a major financial impact. As the recent collapse on Wall Street shows, we are often ill-equipped to deal with uncertainty and risk. Yet every day we base our personal and business plans on uncertainties, whether they be next month’s sales, next year’s costs, or tomorrow’s stock price. In The Flaw of Averages, Sam Savageknown for his creative exposition of difficult subjects describes common avoidable mistakes in assessing risk in the face of uncertainty. Along the way, he shows why plans based on average assumptions are wrong, on average, in areas as diverse as healthcare, accounting, the War on Terror, and climate change. In his chapter on Sex and the Central Limit Theorem, he bravely grasps the literary third rail of gender differences. Instead of statistical jargon, Savage presents complex concepts in plain English. In addition, a tightly integrated web site contains numerous animations and simulations to further connect the seat of the reader’s intellect to the seat of their pants. The Flaw of Averages typically results when someone plugs a single number into a spreadsheet to represent an uncertain future quantity. Savage finishes the book with a discussion of the emerging field of Probability Management, which cures this problem though a new technology that can pack thousands of numbers into a single spreadsheet cell. Praise for The Flaw of Averages “Statistical uncertainties are pervasive in decisions we make every day in business, government, and our personal lives. Sam Savage’s lively and engaging book gives any interested reader the insight and the tools to deal effectively with those uncertainties. I highly recommend The Flaw of Averages.” —William J. Perry, Former U.S. Secretary of Defense “Enterprise analysis under uncertainty has long been an academic ideal. . . . In this profound and entertaining book, Professor Savage shows how to make all this practical, practicable, and comprehensible.” —Harry Markowitz, Nobel Laureate in Economics