BSDEs driven by time-changed Lévy noises and optimal control

We study backward stochastic differential equations (BSDEs) for time-changed Lévy noises when the time-change is independent of the Lévy process. We prove existence and uniqueness of the solution and we obtain an explicit formula for linear BSDEs and a comparison principle. BSDEs naturally appear in control problems. Here we prove a sufficient maximum principle for a general optimal control problem of a system driven by a time-changed Lévy noise. As an illustration we solve the mean–variance portfolio selection problem.     

Bilateral gamma distributions and processes in financial mathematics

We present a class of Lévy processes for modelling financial market fluctuations: bilateral Gamma processes. Our starting point is to explore the properties of bilateral Gamma distributions, and then we turn to their associated Lévy processes. We treat exponential Lévy stock models with an underlying bilateral Gamma process as well as term structure models driven by bilateral Gamma processes, and apply our results to a set of real financial data (DAX 1996–1998).     

A stochastic heat equation with the distributions of Lévy processes as its invariant measures

We consider a linear heat equation on a half line with an additive noise chosen properly in such a manner that its invariant measures are a class of distributions of Lévy processes. Our assumption on the corresponding Lévy measure is, in general, mild except that we need its integrability to show that the distributions of Lévy processes are the only invariant measures of the stochastic heat equation.     

Continuous dependence estimates for viscosity solutions of integro-PDEs

We present a general framework for deriving continuous dependence estimates for, possibly polynomially growing, viscosity solutions of fully nonlinear degenerate parabolic integro-PDEs. We use this framework to provide explicit estimates for the continuous dependence on the coefficients and the “Lévy measure” in the Bellman/Isaacs integro-PDEs arising in stochastic control/differential games. Moreover, these explicit estimates are used to prove regularity results and rates of convergence for some singular perturbation problems. Finally, we illustrate our results on some integro-PDEs arising when attempting to price European/American options in an incomplete stock market driven by a geometric Lévy process. Many of the results obtained herein are new even in the convex case where stochastic control theory provides an alternative to our pure PDE methods.     

Characterization of dependence of multidimensional Lévy processes using Lévy copulas

This paper suggests Lévy copulas in order to characterize the dependence among components of multidimensional Lévy processes. This concept parallels the notion of a copula on the level of Lévy measures. As for random vectors, a version of Sklar's theorem states that the law of a general multivariate Lévy process is obtained by combining arbitrary univariate Lévy processes with an arbitrary Lévy copula. We construct parametric families of Lévy copulas and prove a limit theorem, which indicates how to obtain the Lévy copula of a multivariate Lévy process X from the ordinary copula of the random vector X_t for small t.     

Stochastic integration for Lévy processes with values in Banach spaces

A stochastic integral of Banach space valued deterministic functions with respect to Banach space valued Lévy processes is defined. There are no conditions on the Banach spaces or on the Lévy processes. The integral is defined analogously to the Pettis integral. The integrability of a function is characterized by means of a radonifying property of an integral operator associated with the integrand. The integral is used to prove a Lévy–Itô decomposition for Banach space valued Lévy processes and to study existence and uniqueness of solutions of stochastic Cauchy problems driven by Lévy processes.     

Analytical valuation of catastrophe equity options with negative exponential jumps

A catastrophe put option is valuable in the event that the underlying asset price is below the strike price; in addition, a specified catastrophic event must have happened and influenced the insured company. This paper analyzes the valuation of catastrophe put options under deterministic and stochastic interest rates when the underlying asset price is modeled through a Lévy process with finite activity. We provide explicit analytical formulas for evaluating values of catastrophe put options. The numerical examples illustrate how financial risks and catastrophic risks affect the prices of catastrophe put options.     

Lévy risk model with two-sided jumps and a barrier dividend strategy

In this paper, we consider a general Lévy risk model with two-sided jumps and a constant dividend barrier. We connect the ruin problem of the ex-dividend risk process with the first passage problem of the Lévy process reflected at its running maximum. We prove that if the positive jumps of the risk model form a compound Poisson process and the remaining part is a spectrally negative Lévy process with unbounded variation, the Laplace transform (as a function of the initial surplus) of the upward entrance time of the reflected (at the running infimum) Lévy process exhibits the smooth pasting property at the reflecting barrier. When the surplus process is described by a double exponential jump diffusion in the absence of dividend payment, we derive some explicit expressions for the Laplace transform of the ruin time, the distribution of the deficit at ruin, and the total expected discounted dividends. Numerical experiments concerning the optimal barrier strategy are performed and new empirical findings are presented.     

De Finetti’s optimal dividends problem with an affine penalty function at ruin

In a Lévy insurance risk model, under the assumption that the tail of the Lévy measure is log-convex, we show that either a horizontal barrier strategy or the take-the-money-and-run strategy maximizes, among all admissible strategies, the dividend payments subject to an affine penalty function at ruin. As a key step for the proof, we prove that, under the aforementioned condition on the jump measure, the scale function of the spectrally negative Lévy process has a log-convex derivative.     

A general control variate method for option pricing under Lévy processes

We present a general control variate method for simulating path dependent options under Lévy processes. It is based on fast numerical inversion of the cumulative distribution functions and exploits the strong correlation of the payoff of the original option and the payoff of a similar option under geometric Brownian motion. The method is applicable for all types of Lévy processes for which the probability density function of the increments is available in closed form. Numerical experiments confirm that our method achieves considerable variance reduction for different options and Lévy processes. We present the applications of our general approach for Asian, lookback and barrier options under variance gamma, normal inverse Gaussian, generalized hyperbolic and Meixner processes.     

A new existence result for quadratic BSDEs with jumps with application to the utility maximization problem

In this study, we consider the exponential utility maximization problem in the context of a jump–diffusion model. To solve this problem, we rely on the dynamic programming principle to express the value process of this problem in terms of the solution of a quadratic BSDE with jumps. Since the quadratic BSDE¹ under study is driven by both a Wiener process and a Poisson random measure having a Lévy measure with infinite mass, our main task is therefore to establish a new existence result for the specific BSDE introduced.     

Constructions of coupling processes for Lévy processes

We construct optimal Markov couplings of Lévy processes, whose Lévy (jump) measure has an absolutely continuous component. The construction is based on properties of subordinate Brownian motions and the coupling of Brownian motions by reflection.     

Time regularity of solutions to linear equations with Lévy noise in infinite dimensions

The existence of strong and weak càdlàg versions of a solution to a linear equation in a Hilbert space H$H$, driven by a Lévy process taking values in a Hilbert space U?H$U?H$ is established. The so-called cylindrical càdlàg property is investigated as well. A special emphasis is put on infinite systems of linear equations driven by independent Lévy processes.     

Default swap games driven by spectrally negative Lévy processes

This paper studies game-type credit default swaps that allow the protection buyer and seller to raise or reduce their respective positions once prior to default. This leads to the study of an optimal stopping game subject to early default termination. Under a structural credit risk model based on spectrally negative Lévy processes, we apply the principles of smooth and continuous fit to identify the equilibrium exercise strategies for the buyer and the seller. We then rigorously prove the existence of the Nash equilibrium and compute the contract value at equilibrium. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the impacts of default risk and other contractual features on the players’ exercise timing at equilibrium.     

Local time–space stochastic calculus for Lévy processes

We develop a stochastic calculus on the plane with respect to the local times of a large class of Lévy processes. We can then extend to these Lévy processes an Itô formula that was established previously for Brownian motion. Our method provides also a multidimensional version of the formula. We show that this formula generates many “Itô formulas” that fit various problems. In the special case of a linear Brownian motion, we recover a recently established Itô formula that involves local times on curves. This formula is already used in financial mathematics.     

Jump-adapted discretization schemes for Lévy-driven SDEs

We present new algorithms for weak approximation of stochastic differential equations driven by pure jump Lévy processes. The method uses adaptive non-uniform discretization based on the times of large jumps of the driving process. To approximate the solution between these times we replace the small jumps with a Brownian motion. Our technique avoids the simulation of the increments of the Lévy process, and in many cases achieves better convergence rates than the traditional Euler scheme with equal time steps. To illustrate the method, we discuss an application to option pricing in the Libor market model with jumps.     

The set-indexed Lévy process: Stationarity,Markov and sample paths properties

We present a satisfactory definition of the important class of Lévy processes indexed by a general collection of sets. We use a new definition for increment stationarity of set-indexed processes to obtain different characterizations of this class. As an example, the set-indexed compound Poisson process is introduced. The set-indexed Lévy process is characterized by infinitely divisible laws and a Lévy–Khintchine representation. Moreover, the following concepts are discussed: projections on flows, Markov properties, and pointwise continuity. Finally the study of sample paths leads to a Lévy–Itô decomposition. As a corollary, the semi-martingale property is proved.     

White noise analysis for Lévy processes

We construct a white noise theory for Lévy processes. The starting point of this theory is a chaos expansion for square integrable random variables. We use this approach to Malliavin calculus to prove the following white noise generalization of the Clark-Haussmann-Ocone formula for Lévy processes

     

Sina?ˇ's condition for real valued Lévy processes

We prove that the upward ladder height subordinator H associated to a real valued Lévy process ξ has Laplace exponent φ that varies regularly at ∞ (respectively, at 0) if and only if the underlying Lévy process ξ satisfies Sina?ˇ's condition at 0 (respectively, at ∞). Sina?ˇ's condition for real valued Lévy processes is the continuous time analogue of Sina?ˇ's condition for random walks. We provide several criteria in terms of the characteristics of ξ to determine whether or not it satisfies Sina?ˇ's condition. Some of these criteria are deduced from tail estimates of the Lévy measure of H, here obtained, and which are analogous to the estimates of the tail distribution of the ladder height random variable of a random walk which are due to Veraverbeke and Grübel.     

A stochastic linear–quadratic problem with Lévy processes and its application to finance

We study a Linear–Quadratic Regulation (LQR) problem with Lévy processes and establish the closeness property of the solution of the multi-dimensional Backward Stochastic Riccati Differential Equation (BSRDE) with Lévy processes. In particular, we consider multi-dimensional and one-dimensional BSRDEs with Teugel’s martingales which are more general processes driven by Lévy processes. We show the existence and uniqueness of solutions to the one-dimensional regular and singular BSRDEs with Lévy processes by means of the closeness property of the BSRDE and obtain the optimal control for the non-homogeneous case. An application of the backward stochastic differential equation approach to a financial (portfolio selection) problem with full and partial observation cases is provided.