Mathematical Finance

  • QST MF 850: Advanced Computational Methods
    This course explores algorithmic and numerical schemes used in practice for the pricing and hedging of financial derivative products. The focus of this course lies on data analysis. It covers such topics as: stochastic models with jumps, advanced simulation methods, optimization routines, and tree-based approaches. It also introduces machine learning concepts and methodologies, including cross validation, dimensionality reduction, random forests, neural networks, clustering, and support vector machines. (Mathematical Finance courses are reserved for students enrolled in the Mathematical Finance program.)
  • QST MF 921: Topics in Dynamic Asset Pricing
    This course provides a comprehensive and in-depth treatment of modern asset pricing theories. Extensive use is made of continuous time stochastic processes, stochastic calculus and optimal control. Particular emphasis will be placed on (i) stochastic calculus with jumps; (ii) asset pricing models with jumps; (iii) the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation and stochastic control; (iv) numerical methods for stochastic control problems in finance. (Mathematical Finance courses are reserved for students enrolled in the Mathematical Finance program.)
  • QST MF 922: Advanced Mathematical Finance
    This course provides a rigorous introduction to the modern theory of mathematical finance in incomplete markets. The first part of the course covers the fundamental theorem of asset pricing, as well as super-hedging of contingent claims, in full generality for discrete time models. The second half of the class focuses on optimal investment, pricing and hedging in continuous time incomplete markets. Here, lectures will cover optimal investment and duality for general semi-martingale models; and portfolio optimization and pricing in Markovian factor models, non-Markovian Brownian models, models with trading constraints, and models with transactions costs. Throughout this half, lectures will highlight connections to the dynamic programming principle, the Martingale optimality principle, semi-linear Cauchy partial differential equations, backward stochastic differential equations, and the theory of viscosity solutions.
  • QST MF 930: Advanced Corporate Finance
    This doctoral level class on corporate finance covers both theoretical and empirical work. Rather than explaining the underpinnings of basic corporate research (e.g., model/applications dealing with asymmetric information, agency problems, and capital market frictions), we go deeper in understanding "how to operationalize" research on concrete topics that are central to contemporary corporate finance, such as bankruptcy, capital structure, mergers and acquisitions, the firm boundaries, investment, and much more. The class also looks at the interface between corporate finance and other research areas, such as asset pricing and banking. The course is a blend of new approaches to modeling in corporate research (e.g., dynamic, structural models of financial policy that generate typically quantitative predictions) and new approaches to testing design (e.g., regression discontinuities and natural experiments). The goal is to expose the students to the "state-of-the-art" of research in corporate finance and prepare them to do research in corporate finance using new methods and tools. (Mathematical Finance courses are reserved for students enrolled in the Mathematical Finance program.)
  • QST MF 990: Current Topics Seminar
    For PhD students in the Mathematical Finance program. Registered by permission only.
  • QST MF 998: Directed Study: Mathematical Finance
    PhD-level directed study in Mathematical Finance. 1, 2, or 3 cr. Application available on the Graduate Center website.
  • QST MF 999: Directed Study: Mathematical Finance
    PhD-level directed study in Mathematical Finance. 1, 2, or 3 cr. Application available on the Graduate Center website.

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