Tools for Computational Finance (Universitext) - Softcover

Seydel, Rüdiger U.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1447173376 ISBN 13: 9781447173373

Publisher: Springer, 2017

Synopsis

Computational and numerical methods are used in a number of ways across the field of finance. It is the aim of this book to explain how such methods work in financial engineering. By concentrating on the field of option pricing, a core task of financial engineering and risk analysis, this book explores a wide range of computational tools in a coherent and focused manner and will be of use to anyone working in computational finance. Starting with an introductory chapter that presents the financial and stochastic background, the book goes on to detail computational methods using both stochastic and deterministic approaches.

Now in its sixth edition, Tools for Computational Finance has been significantly revised and contains:   

• Several new parts such as a section on extended applications of tree methods, including multidimensional trees, trinomial trees, and the handling of dividends;
  
• Additional material in the field of generating normal variates with acceptance-rejection methods, and on Monte Carlo methods;
  
• 115 exercises, and more than 100 figures, many in color.

Written from the perspective of an applied mathematician, all methods are introduced for immediate and straightforward application. A ‘learning by calculating’ approach is adopted throughout this book, enabling readers to explore several areas of the financial world.

Interdisciplinary in nature, this book will appeal to advanced undergraduate and graduate students in mathematics, engineering, and other scientific disciplines as well as professionals in financial engineering.

About this title

About the Author

Rüdiger U. Seydel is professor emeritus of numerical analysis. He is the former head of a research group on computational finance at the University of Cologne. He also worked in bifurcation and dynamical systems.

Review

 

"In an increasingly crowded field of financial engineering titles, Seydel's Tools for Computational Finance stands out as filling an unmet need. It is an intermediate level text with an extremely practical focus. ... This is the kind of book you can read quickly, gaining a broad understanding of practical techniques of financial engineering. On the other hand, you can go through it slowly, working through all the examples and exercises in order to gain indepth practical knowledge you can use on the job. "

www.riskbook.com

 

"Remarkably, Seydel addresses students of both mathematics and business, presumes only minimal background in either subject, yet ventures deep into the subject in little more than 200 pages. Compare the longer books Mathematics of Financial Markets, by R.J. Elliott and P.E. Kopp (1999), or Methods of Mathematical Finance, by I. Karatzas and S.E. Shreve (1998), which presume research-level preparation in probability theory, delve deeper into theoretical issues, but ignore numerics. On the mathematical side, Seydel covers stochastic processes, random number generation, stochastic differential equations, finite differences, and finite elements. On the financial side, he treats put and call options of so-called American, European, and Asian types. A Web site provides additional material, including colored figures. Summing Up: Highly recommended. "

CHOICE

 

"Seydel has sought a compromise between justifying his results and avoiding formal proofs. I think he has struck a healthy balance, and I enjoyed reading the book.

...

Hull´s book teaches how to write the equations and Seydel´s teaches how to solve them"

Physics Today

 

"In my opinion, this book is mainly tailored to financial researchers and practitioners with an applied mathematics or engineering background. Various methods are introduced from a problem-solving point of view, been eventually formulated and summarised as algorithms which are offered for straightforward implementation in computer programmes. This expository style, which is similar to Kloeden´s and Platen´s 'Numerical Solutions of SDEs through computer experiments', makes the book unique among others and will definitely attract a broad range of readers coming from the financial academia or practice.

Quant Notes

 

"This book is very easy to read and one can gain a quick snapshot of computational issues arising in financial mathematics. Researchers or students of the mathematical sciences with an interest in finance will find this book a very helpful and gentle guide to the world of financial engineering."

SIAM review (46, 2004)

From the reviews of the third edition:

"Tools for Computational Finance is a book on numerical methods for pricing financial derivative products. ... the author concentrates on how to provide numerical solutions to the problem of pricing. Exercises are provided at the end of each chapter and they follow and complement the text very well. In my opinion the book is more for practitioners ... . it does guide us in a right direction and I think it could be valuable even for an academic." (Ita Cirovic Doney, MathDL-online, October, 2006)

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1447173376
• ISBN 13: 9781447173373
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 6
• Number of pages: 508