Differential quadrature method for pricing American options

In this article, differential quadrature method (DQM), a highly accurate and efficient numerical method for solving nonlinear problems, is used to overcome the difficulty in determining the optimal exercise boundary of American option. The following three parts of the problem in pricing American options are solved. The first part is how to treat the uncertainty of the early exercise boundary, or free boundary in the language of the PDE treatment of the American option, because American options can be exercised before the date of expiration. The second part is how to solve the nonlinear problem, because the problem of pricing American options is nonlinear. And the third part is how to treat the initial value condition with the singularity and the boundary conditions in the DQM. Numerical results for the free boundary of American option obtained by both DQM and finite difference method (FDM) are given and from which it can be seen the computational efficiency is greatly improved by DQM. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 18: 711–725, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com); DOI 10.1002/num.10028.     

Exercisability Randomization of the American Option

Abstract

The valuation of American options is an optimal stopping time problem which typically leads to a free boundary problem. We introduce here the randomization of the exercisability of the option. This method considerably simplifies the problematic by transforming the free boundary problem into an evolution equation. This evolution equation can be transformed in a way that decomposes the value of the randomized option into a European option and the present value of continuously paid benefits. This yields a new binomial approximation for American options. We prove that the method is accurate and numerical results illustrate that it is computationally efficient.     

Weak Galerkin finite element method for valuation of American options

We introduce a weak Galerkin finite element method for the valuation of American options governed by the Black-Scholes equation. In order to implement, we need to solve the optimal exercise boundary and then introduce an artificial boundary to make the computational domain bounded. For the optimal exercise boundary, which satisfies a nonlinear Volterra integral equation, it is resolved by a higher-order collocation method based on graded meshes. With the computed optimal exercise boundary, the front-fixing technique is employed to transform the free boundary problem to a one- dimensional parabolic problem in a half infinite area. For the other spatial domain boundary, a perfectly matched layer is used to truncate the unbounded domain and carry out the computation. Finally, the resulting initial-boundary value problems are solved by weak Galerkin finite element method, and numerical examples are provided to illustrate the efficiency of the method.     

Compact finite difference method for American option pricing

A compact finite difference method is designed to obtain quick and accurate solutions to partial differential equation problems. The problem of pricing an American option can be cast as a partial differential equation. Using the compact finite difference method this problem can be recast as an ordinary differential equation initial value problem. The complicating factor for American options is the existence of an optimal exercise boundary which is jointly determined with the value of the option. In this article we develop three ways of combining compact finite difference methods for American option price on a single asset with methods for dealing with this optimal exercise boundary. Compact finite difference method one uses the implicit condition that solutions of the transformed partial differential equation be nonnegative to detect the optimal exercise value. This method is very fast and accurate even when the spatial step size h   is large (h?0.1)$(h?0.1)$. Compact difference method two must solve an algebraic nonlinear equation obtained by Pantazopoulos (1998) at every time step. This method can obtain second order accuracy for space x and requires a moderate amount of time comparable with that required by the Crank Nicolson projected successive over relaxation method. Compact finite difference method three refines the free boundary value by a method developed by Barone-Adesi and Lugano [The saga of the American put, 2003], and this method can obtain high accuracy for space x. The last two of these three methods are convergent, moreover all the three methods work for both short term and long term options. Through comparison with existing popular methods by numerical experiments, our work shows that compact finite difference methods provide an exciting new tool for American option pricing.     

A fast high-order finite difference algorithm for pricing American options

We describe an improvement of Han and Wu’s algorithm [H. Han, X.Wu, A fast numerical method for the Black–Scholes equation of American options, SIAM J. Numer. Anal. 41 (6) (2003) 2081–2095] for American options. A high-order optimal compact scheme is used to discretise the transformed Black–Scholes PDE under a singularity separating framework. A more accurate free boundary location based on the smooth pasting condition and the use of a non-uniform grid with a modified tridiagonal solver lead to an efficient implementation of the free boundary value problem. Extensive numerical experiments show that the new finite difference algorithm converges rapidly and numerical solutions with good accuracy are obtained. Comparisons with some recently proposed methods for the American options problem are carried out to show the advantage of our numerical method.     

美式期权自由边界的计算方法

美式期权的自由边界问题在金融工程文献中已经引起了广泛的关注,然而,它的数值计算方法一直是一个难点.基于差分技巧,给出了满足具有有限到期日的美式期权自由边界的两种计算方法,即,根据股票期权价格和相应的偏导数来确定自由边界条件.数值结果表明了上述两种方法下自由边界是一致性的.此外研究结果对自由边界的计算提供很好的科学依据.     

Multidimensional transonic shocks and free boundary problems for nonlinear equations of mixed type

We establish the existence and stability of multidimensional transonic shocks for the Euler equations for steady potential compressible fluids. The Euler equations, consisting of the conservation law of mass and the Bernoulli law for the velocity, can be written as a second-order, nonlinear equation of mixed elliptic-hyperbolic type for the velocity potential. The transonic shock problem can be formulated into the following free boundary problem: The free boundary is the location of the transonic shock which divides the two regions of smooth flow, and the equation is hyperbolic in the upstream region where the smooth perturbed flow is supersonic. We develop a nonlinear approach to deal with such a free boundary problem in order to solve the transonic shock problem. Our results indicate that there exists a unique solution of the free boundary problem such that the equation is always elliptic in the downstream region and the free boundary is smooth, provided that the hyperbolic phase is close to a uniform flow. We prove that the free boundary is stable under the steady perturbation of the hyperbolic phase. We also establish the existence and stability of multidimensional transonic shocks near spherical or circular transonic shocks.

     

Laplace transforms and American options

Laplace transform methods are used to study the valuation of American call and put options with constant dividend yield, and to derive integral equations giving the location of the optimal exercise boundary. In each case studied, the main result of this paper is a nonlinear Fredholm-type integral equation for the location of the free boundary. The equations differ depending on whether the dividend yield is less than or exceeds the risk-free rate. These integral equations contain a transform variable, so the solution of the equations would involve finding the free boundary that satisfies the equations for all values of this transform variable. Expressions are also given for the transform of the value of the option in terms of this free boundary.     

A free boundary problem of elliptic equation arising in supersonic flow past a conical body

We study free boundary value problems of elliptic equation caused by a supersonic flow past a non-symmetric conical body. The flow is described by the potential flow equation. In the self-similar coordinate system the problem can be reduced to a boundary value problem of second order nonlinear elliptic equation with a free boundary. Applying the partial hodograph transformation and the method of nonlinear alternative iteration we proved the existence of solution to this boundary value problem. Consequently, we also proved the conclusion that for the problem of supersonic flow past a conical body, if the conical body is slightly different from a circular cone with its vertex angle less than a given value determined by the parameters of the coming flow, then there exists a weak entropy solution with an attached conical shock.     

Front-fixing FEMs for the pricing of American options based on a PML technique

In this paper, efficient numerical methods are developed for the pricing of American options governed by the Black–Scholes equation. The front-fixing technique is first employed to transform the free boundary of optimal exercise prices to some a priori known temporal line for a one-dimensional parabolic problem via the change of variables. The perfectly matched layer (PML) technique is then applied to the pricing problem for the effective truncation of the semi-infinite domain. Finite element methods using the respective continuous and discontinuous Galerkin discretization are proposed for the resulting truncated PML problems related to the options and Greeks. The free boundary is determined by Newton’s method coupled with the discrete truncated PML problem. Stability and nonnegativeness are established for the approximate solution to the truncated PML problem. Under some weak assumptions on the PML medium parameters, it is also proved that the solution of the truncated PML problem converges to that of the unbounded Black–Scholes equation in the computational domain and decays exponentially in the perfectly matched layer. Numerical experiments are conducted to test the performance of the proposed methods and to compare them with some existing methods.     

On the asymptotic free boundary for the American put option problem

In practical work with American put options, it is important to be able to know when to exercise the option, and when not to do so. In computer simulation based on the standard theory of geometric Brownian motion for simulating stock price movements, this problem is fairly easy to handle for options with a short lifespan, by analyzing binomial trees. It is considerably more challenging to make the decision for American put options with long lifespan. In order to provide a satisfactory analysis, we look at the corresponding free boundary problem, and show that the free boundary—which is the curve that separates the two decisions, to exercise or not to—has an asymptotic expansion, where the coefficient of the main term is expressed as an integral in terms of the free boundary. This raises the perspective that one could use numerical simulation to approximate the integral and thus get an effective way to make correct decisions for long life options.     

Spectral Method for the Black-Scholes Model of American Options Valuation

In this paper, we devote ourselves to the research of numerical methods for American option pricing problems under the Black-Scholes model. The optimal exercise boundary which satisfies a nonlinear Volterra integral equation is resolved by a high-order collocation method based on graded meshes. For the other spatial domain boundary, an artificial boundary condition is applied to the pricing problem for the effective truncation of the semi-infinite domain. Then, the front-fixing and stretching transformations are employed to change the truncated problem in an irregular domain into a one-dimensional parabolic problem in [−1,1]. The Chebyshev spectral method coupled with fourth-order Runge-Kutta method is proposed for the resulting parabolic problem related to the options. The stability of the semi-discrete numerical method is established for the parabolic problem transformed from the original model. Numerical experiments are conducted to verify the performance of the proposed methods and compare them with some existing methods.     

An explicit series approximation to the optimal exercise boundary of American put options

This paper derives an explicit series approximation solution for the optimal exercise boundary of an American put option by means of a new analytical method for strongly nonlinear problems, namely the homotopy analysis method (HAM). The Black–Sholes equation subject to the moving boundary conditions for an American put option is transferred into an infinite number of linear sub-problems in a fixed domain through the deformation equations. Different from perturbation/asymptotic approximations, the HAM approximation can be applicable for options with much longer expiry. Accuracy tests are made in comparison with numerical solutions. It is found that the current approximation is as accurate as many numerical methods. Considering its explicit form of expression, it can bring great convenience to the market practitioners.     

求解美式回望期权的有限元方法

期权作为一种金融衍生产品,在欧美国家一直很受欢迎.由于其规避风险的特性,期权也吸引了中国投资者的兴趣.基于市场的需求,2015年初,上海证券交易所推出了中国首批期权产品,期权定价问题的研究热潮正席卷全球.本文研究的美式回望期权,是一种路径相关的期权,其支付函数不仅依赖于标的资产的现值,也依赖其历史最值.分析回望期权的特点,不难发现:1)这类期权空间变量的变化范围为二维无界不规则区域,难以应用数值方法直接求解;2)最佳实施边界未知,使得该问题变得高度非线性.本文的主要工作就是解决这两个困难,得到回望期权和最佳实施边界的数值逼近结果.现有的处理问题1)的有效方法是采用标准变量替换、计价单位变换以及Landau变换将定价模型化为一个[0,1]区间上的非线性抛物问题,本文也将沿用这些技巧处理问题1).进一步,采用有限元方法离散简化后的定价模型,并论证了数值解的非负性,提出了利用Newton法求解离散化的非线性系统.最后,通过数值模拟,验证了本文所提算法的高效性和准确性.     

An integral representation approach for valuing American-style installment options with continuous payment plan

In this paper, we present an integral equation approach for the valuation of American-style installment derivatives when the payment plan is assumed to be a continuous function of the asset price and time. The contribution of this study is threefold. First, we show that in the Black-Scholes model the option pricing problem can be formulated as a free boundary problem under very general conditions on payoff structure and payment schedule. Second, by applying a Fourier transform-based solution technique, we derive a system of coupled recursive integral equations for the pair of free boundaries along with an analytic representation of the option price. Third, based on these results, we propose a unified framework which generalizes the existing methods and is capable of dealing with a wide range of monotonic payoff functions and continuous payment plans. Finally, by using the illustrative example of American vanilla installment call options, an explicit pricing formula is obtained for time-varying payment schedules.     

分数阶微分方程边值问题解的存在性

应用Gteen函数将分数阶微分方程边值问题可转化为等价的积分方程．近来此方法被应用于讨论非线性分数阶微分方程边值问题解的存在性．讨论非线性分数阶微分方程边值问题,应用Green函数,将其转化为等价的积分方程,并设非线性项满足Caratheodory条件,利用非紧性测度的性质和M6nch’s不动点定理证明解的存在性．     

On the Global-in-Time Existence of a Generalized Solution to a Free-Boundary Problem

A problem with free (unknown) boundary for a one-dimensional diffusion-convection equation is considered. The unknown boundary is found from an additional condition on the free boundary. By the extension of the variables, the problem in an unknown domain is reduced to an initial boundary-value problem for a strictly parabolic equation with unknown coefficients in a known domain. These coefficients are found from an additional boundary condition that enables the construction of a nonlinear operator whose fixed points determine a solution of the original problem.

     

Steady transonic shocks and free boundary problems in infinite cylinders for the Euler equations

We establish the existence and stability of multidimensional transonic shocks (hyperbolic‐elliptic shocks) for the Euler equations for steady compressible potential fluids in infinite cylinders. The Euler equations, consisting of the conservation law of mass and the Bernoulli law for velocity, can be written as a second order nonlinear equation of mixed elliptic‐hyperbolic type for the velocity potential. The transonic shock problem in an infinite cylinder can be formulated into the following free boundary problem: The free boundary is the location of the multidimensional transonic shock which divides two regions of C^1,α flow in the infinite cylinder, and the equation is hyperbolic in the upstream region where the C^1,α perturbed flow is supersonic. We develop a nonlinear approach to deal with such a free boundary problem in order to solve the transonic shock problem in unbounded domains. Our results indicate that there exists a solution of the free boundary problem such that the equation is always elliptic in the unbounded downstream region, the uniform velocity state at infinity in the downstream direction is uniquely determined by the given hyperbolic phase, and the free boundary is C^1,α, provided that the hyperbolic phase is close in C^1,α to a uniform flow. We further prove that, if the steady perturbation of the hyperbolic phase is C^2,α, the free boundary is C^2,α and stable under the steady perturbation. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals Inc.     

An adaptive algorithm for the Thomas–Fermi equation

A free boundary value problem is introduced to approximate the original Thomas–Fermi equation. The unknown truncated free boundary is determined iteratively. We transform the free boundary value problem to a nonlinear boundary value problem defined on [0,1]. We present an adaptive algorithm to solve the problem by means of the moving mesh finite element method. Comparison of our numerical results with those obtained by other approaches shows high accuracy of our method.     

Pricing of perpetual American and Bermudan options by binomial tree method

In this paper, we consider the binomial tree method for pricing perpetual American and perpetual Bermudan options. The closed form solutions of these discrete models are solved. Explicit formulas for the optimal exercise boundary of the perpetual American option is obtained. A nonlinear equation that is satisfied by the optimal exercise boundaries of the perpetual Bermudan option is found.