AMS 511.01 - Foundations of Quantitative Finance

Fall 2009


   

Prof. Robert J. Frey (Instructor)

frey@ams.sunysb.edu

http://www.ams.sunysb.edu/~frey

   

Lecture:

    Monday and Wednesday, 6:55 PM to 8:15 PM

    Physics P-113

   


   

Ms. Xiaochu Zhang (Teaching Assistant)

xczhang@ams.sunysb.edu

   

Recitation:

    Contact directly for information

   

   


Notes:

  

  

  • Be sure to check the Announcements and Updates section on my home page for information about schedule changes, class cancellations, up coming seminars and events, and other important news.

On This Page

    

    


Course Overview

 

Introduction to capital markets and modern portfolio theory, including the organization and operation of securities markets, the Efficient Market Hypothesis and its implications, the Capital Asset Pricing Model, the Arbitrage Pricing Theory and more general factor models. Common stocks and their valuation, statistical analysis, and portfolio selection in a single-period, mean-variance context will be explored along with its solution as a quadratic program. Fixed income securities and their valuation, statistical analysis, and portfolio selection. Discussion of the development and use of financial derivatives. Whenever practical examples will use real market data. Numerical exercises and projects in a high-level programming environment will also be assigned.Ę Prerequisites: AMSĘ505 or AMSĘ510, and AMSĘ507. 3 credits.

    

Required texts and software (required):
  

  • Luenberger, David G., Investment Science, Academic Press, 1997.

    

  • Access to Mathematica, Version 7 . Low cost versions of Mathematica are available for $5 at the Seawolves Marketplace in the SAC. Mathematica is also available on machines in the Math/Physics SINC Site. A Mathematica tutorial can be found here.

    

  • Students will need access to the Internet to be able to download exercises and data and submit certain assignments via email.

The following texts provides useful background. They are not required texts:
   

  • Sharpe, William F., Gordon Alexander & Jeffrey Baily, Investments (6th Edition), Prentice-Hall, 1998.

   

  • Don, Eugene, Schaum's Outline of Theory and Problems of  Mathematica, McGraw-Hill, 2001.

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Course Objectives

 

Financial resources must be managed in the face of uncertain investmemt performance and future consumption. The risk and reward of available investments must be modeled and estimated. These insights must then be translated into a set of specific investment decisions. All of this must be done in the context of the objectives and constraints imposed by both the organization and the larger legal and economic environment it finds itself in.

    

We will cover the Chapters 1 through 16 of Luenberger's text. This will cover the basics of financial instruments and markets and address the issues involved in allocating financial resources in the face of an uncertain future. To introduce the student to Mathematica we will also cover selected material in Don's text.

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General Teaching Approach and Course Policies

   

The lectures will develop the mathematical foundations required for successful completion of the course. We will also introduce many economic concepts and practical applications through examples worked out during class. Homework assignments and workshops, however, play a key role.

 

Homework Assignments and Workshops

    

Homework assignments and workshops will be used to further develop the material covered during class, including many important practical applications, and so will introduce important new content. Homework assignments are due the first class of the week after assignment. In addition to the weekly assignments, students will be assigned two workshop assignments that they will have two to three weeks to complete.

All assignments must be submitted by email. Homework assignments are submitted to the course grader, Xiaochu Zhang, at xczhang@ams.sunysb.edu. Workshops are submitted to the course instructor, Robert J. Frey, at frey@ams.sunysb.edu. The subject line of the email must begin with AMS-511 and your student ID number followed by a brief description of the submission, e.g.,

   

AMS-511 123456789 Homework 3A

    

Examinations

    

There will be two examinations, a mid-term and a final. For in-class examinations students will be able to bring in an 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper with whatever content he or she desires for use during the test; however, this sheet must be generated by the student him- or herself. Students may use calculators during the examinations.

   

Grading

    

Homework assignments will be graded Pass-Fail and the workshops and examinations will be graded A-B-C-F. The contribution of each to the final grade is as follows:

   

  • Homework Assignments -- 10%

   

  • Midterm Workshop -- 10%

   

  • Final Workshop -- 30%

   

  • Midterm Examination -- 20%

   

  • Final Examination -- 30%

   

Positive trends in a student's performance will, however, receive due consideration.

   

Other Issues

   

Throughout our time together the sooner you inform me of any problem, personal or academic, which may affect your attendance or performance, the better the chance we have of solving it together.

 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Notification: If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact your course work, please contact Disability Support Services. They will determine with you what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential.

   

Students who require assistance during emergency evacuation are encouraged to discuss their needs with their professors, Disability Support Services, and Environmental Health and Safety.

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Class Schedule & Assignments

 

The schedule planned for this semester is listed below; however, this schedule will be adjusted as needed throughout the semester if certain topics take up more or less time than planned. The letter "I" is used to indicate Investment Science, and students must read the chapters indicated for each week before coming to class. The letter "S" refers to Schaum's Outline, and these readings are suggested.

    

Under the "Documents" heading links for any "Notes" and "Exercises" will be updated before each class. Links for "Solutions" of assignments and examinations will be updated after their respective due dates.

    

The "Notes" below are supplementary material and exercises intended to amplify or extend the content presented in the main text and classroom lectures. They are not a substitute for studying the text or attending class.

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Week - Class
Documents
Coverage
Assignments & Comments
Content

01 - A

31 Aug 2009

Notes

Solutions

I: 1 & 2

S: 1

I: 2 (1, 3 & 8)

Theory of Interest

Mathematica: Introduction

01 - B

02 Sep 2009

Notes

Solutions

I: 3

S: 2

I: 3 (3, 10 & 15)

Fixed Income Securities

Mathematica: Basics

02 - A

07 Sep 2009

      Labor Day - No Classes

02 - B

09 Sep 2009

Notes

Solutions

I: 4

S: 3

I: 4 (2, 6, & 14)

Term Structure of Interest

Mathematica: Lists

03 - A

14 Sep 2009

 

I: 4

S: 12

 

Term Structure of Interest

Mathematica Linear Algebra

03 - B

16 Sep 2009

Notes

Solutions

I: 5

S: 4 & 5

I: 5 (2, 4 & 12)

Interest Rate Analysis

Mathematica Graphics

04 - A

21 Sep 2009

 

I: 5

S: 6 & 7

 

Interest Rate Analysis

Mathematica: Algebra

04 - B

23 Sep 2009

Notes

Solutions

I: 6

S: 8 & 9

I : 6 (2, 4, 8)

Portfolio Theory

Mathematica: Calculus

05 - A

29 Sep 2009

 

I: 6

S: 10

Correction Day: Tuesday Follows Monday's Schedule

Portfolio Theory

Mathematica: Calculus

05 - B

30 Sep 2009

Notes

Solutions

I: 7

S: A.1

I: 7 (2, 6)

Capital Asset Pricing Model

Mathematica: Programming

06 - A

05 Oct 2009

 

I: 7

S: A.3

 

Capital Asset Pricing Model

Mathematica: Programming

06 - B

07 Oct 2009

Notes

Solutions

I: 8

I: 8 (2, 6, 8)

Factor Models - Theory

07 - A

12 Oct 2009

Workshop 1

Linear Model Code

Solutions

I: 8 Workshop 1 Assigned Factor Models - Estimation

07 - B

14 Oct 2009

Notes

Solutions

I: 9

I: 9 (2, 6, 10, 14)

Utility Theory

08 - A

19 Oct 2009

  I: 9   Applications of Utility

08 - B

21 Oct 2009

Sample Review

 

Review Chapters 1 to 9

09 - A

26 Oct 2009

Midterm

Solutions

  Midterm  

09 - B

28 Oct 2009

Notes

Solutions

I: 10

I: 10 (6, 8, 10)

Forwards, Futures & Swaps

10 - A

02 Nov 2009

  I: 10 Workshop 1 Due

Forwards, Futures & Swaps

10 - B

04 Nov 2009

Notes

Solutions

I: 11 I: 11 (4, 6, 10) Asset Dynamics

11 - A

09 Nov 2009

  I: 11   Asset Dynamics

11 - B

11 Nov 2009

  I: 12 I: 12 (4, 10) Options Theory

12 - A

16 Nov 2009

  I: 12   Options Theory

12 - B

18 Nov 2009

  I: 13   Black-Scholes

13 - A

23 Nov 2009

Workshop 2 I: 13 Workshop 2 Assigned

Exotic Options

13 - B

25 Nov 2009

      Thanksgiving - No Classes

14 - A

30 Nov 2009

  I: 14

I: 14 (6, 7)

Interest Rate Derivatives

14 - B

02 Dec 2009

  I: 15

I: 15 (2, 6)

Optimal Portfolio Growth

15 - A

07 Dec 2009

  I: 16 I: 16 (8) Investment Evaluation

15 - B

09 Dec 2009

  Review Workshop 2 Due Review Chapters 1 - 16

Final

21 Dec 2009

    Final

5:15 PM to 7:45 PM

Physics P-113