Financial Engineering Seminar

April, 2, 2004(Fri), 3:00pm
3:00 PM - 3:50 PM(8th period),
Place: FLG 220

Corrected Random Walk Approximations to Free Boundary Problems in Optimal Stopping: Theory and Applications

Farid Aitsahlia

Stanford University

farid@stat.Stanford.EDU





Abstract:

Optimal stopping problems for Brownian motion can be characterized as free boundary problems for which analytical and computational methods have been devised. Among the latter are random walk based approximations and the purpose of this talk is to illustrate the interplay between continuous and discrete models. In particular, I will discuss how renewal theory and a decomposition formula originally developed in the context of option pricing can be used to derive error terms for the above approximations. Detailed examples drawn from efficient option pricing and singular stochastic control will be provided


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