A Path Integral Approach to Derivative Security Pricing: I. Formalism and Analytical Results

Path integrals are a ubiquitous tool in theoretical physics. However, their use is sometimes hindered by the lack of control on various manipulations -- such as performing a change of the integration path -- one would like to carry out in the light-hearted fashion that physicists enjoy. Similar issues arise in the field of stochastic calculus, which we review to prepare the ground for a proper construction of path integrals. At the level of path integration, and in arbitrary ...

From the path integral formalism for price fluctuations with non-Gaussian distributions I derive the appropriate stochastic calculus replacing Ito's calculus for stochastic fluctuations.

We introduce a model for the short-term dynamics of financial assets based on an application to finance of quantum gauge theory, developing ideas of Ilinski. We present a numerical algorithm for the computation of the probability distribution of prices and compare the results with APPLE stocks prices and the S&P500 index.

We discuss a semi-analytical method for solving SABR-type equations based on path integrals. In this approach, one set of variables is integrated analytically while the second set is integrated numerically via Monte-Carlo. This method, known in the literature as Conditional Monte-Carlo, leads to compact expressions functional on three correlated stochastic variables. The methodology is practical and efficient when solving Vanilla pricing in the SABR, Heston and Bates models w...

In the framework of Black-Scholes-Merton model of financial derivatives, a path integral approach to option pricing is presented. A general formula to price European path dependent options on multidimensional assets is obtained and implemented by means of various flexible and efficient algorithms. As an example, we detail the cases of Asian, barrier knock out, reverse cliquet and basket call options, evaluating prices and Greeks. The numerical results are compared with those ...

The Black-Scholes theory of option pricing has been considered for many years as an important but very approximate zeroth-order description of actual market behavior. We generalize the functional form of the diffusion of these systems and also consider multi-factor models including stochastic volatility. Daily Eurodollar futures prices and implied volatilities are fit to determine exponents of functional behavior of diffusions using methods of global optimization, Adaptive Si...

Path integral method in quantum mechanics provides a new thinking for barrier option pricing. For proportional double-barrier step (PDBS) options, the option price changing process is analogous to a particle moving in a finite symmetric square potential well. We have derived the pricing kernel of PDBS options with time dependent interest rate and volatility. Numerical results of option price as a function of underlying asset price are shown as well. Path integral method can b...

Functional integrals are central to modern theories ranging from quantum mechanics and statistical thermodynamics to biology, chemistry, and finance. In this work we present a new method for calculating functional integrals based on a finite-element formulation. This approach is far more robust, versatile, and powerful than existing methods, thus allowing for more sophisticated computations and the study of problems that could not previously be tackled. Importantly, existing ...

Dupire's functional It\^o calculus provides an alternative approach to the classical Malliavin calculus for the computation of sensitivities, also called Greeks, of path-dependent derivatives prices. In this paper, we introduce a measure of path-dependence of functionals within the functional It\^o calculus framework. Namely, we consider the Lie bracket of the space and time functional derivatives, which we use to classify functionals accordingly to their degree of path-depen...

Functional It^o calculus is based on an extension of the classical It^o calculus to functionals depending on the entire past evolution of the underlying paths and not only on its current value. The calculus builds on Follmer's deterministic proof of the It^o formula, see [3], and a notion of pathwise functional derivatives introduced by [5]. There are no smoothness assumptions required on the functionals, however, they are required to possess certain directional derivatives ...