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Book Description

In recent years the growing importance of derivative products financial markets has increased the demand for mathematical skills in financial institutions. The purpose of this book is to introduce the mathematical methods of financial modelling to provide a clear explanation of the most useful models. Introduction to Stochastic Calculus begins with an elementary presentation of discrete models, including the Cox-Ross-Rubenstein model. This book will be valued by derivatives trading, marketing, and research divisions of investment banks and other institutions, and also by graduate students and research academics in applied probability and finance theory.

Customer Reviews:

Very good.......2007-07-03

I am quite familiar with this book since I enjoyed it when it was used (along with many other good books as it should) in Purdue Computational Finance program. I got to do a number of exercises from it. Some Matlab code is available on my website (click on my name above).

A very efficient book for the right audience.......2007-01-21

Introduction to Stochastic Calculus Applied to Finance, translated from French, is a widely used classic graduate textbook on mathematical finance and is a standard required text in France for DEA and PhD programs in the field.

Most folks familiar with Steve Shreve's Stochastic Calculus Models for Finance will be surprised at its brevity, for this work is aimed at different audiences.

Whereas Shreve's work is aimed at mathematicians and physicists who are coming to finance, and building on the commonalities of understandings of time series and data sets and signals, Lamberton & Lapeyre's work is aimed at an audience of mathematically trained engineers, who look at data sets as information for solving problems. Shreve's work, is, therefore, to help people come up with mathematical proofs, and L&L's is to help people solve problems.

Both probabilistic and partial differential equation approaches are covered, so both those from electrical and telecommunication engineering and mechanical engineering will be satisfied and on familiar ground. Numerical and algorithmic methods are also covered for those with systems analysis and operations management backgrounds.

This book, however, is decidedly for those who have had significant mathematical training. Whereas with Hull, Wilmott, Neftci, or Joshi you can play around with their approaches almost instantly in Excel or other programming tools (VBA, C, etc.), Lamberton and Lapeyre's work is for those who think out loud with a white board and others do the dirty work of coding. This work lacks specific examples, data sets, etc. Which makes it difficult to place. Its clarity and brevity are welcome, and it expands the knowledge beyond Hull of those who are not trained in math and came up the practical coding grunt side of quantfin. But it also is not a complete theoretical treatment for the first string math and theory set.

In short, the book is what it is: a short primer on a large area of mathematics in finance for those well-trained in a variety of engineering and applied mathematical subjects. In other words, this book is for the French, because all the best French students are always Engineers first and something else afterwards. If you also happen to be trained as an engineer and find Hull, Wilmott, Joshi & Neftci too easy, and Shreve too hard, then this is the book for you. Or if you are like me, and you've banged your head against this stuff for years just through the happenstance of your career and want to see how a mathematician writes about your gritty world, this is a great book for shedding light in areas filled with cobwebs.

Clear and concise introduction to mathematical finance........2001-07-25

This book, translated from French, is by now a classic graduate textbook on mathematical finance, and provides a clear and concise introduction to the basic and important aspects of the theory. Although one of the first textbooks on the subject, it still remains in my opinion one of the best.

The book has been written for engineering students not mathematicians and avoids the theorem/proof format, going straight to essentials.

Also, while most textbooks on mathematical finance exclusively adopt either a probabilistic (like Baxter & Rennie) or a PDE approach to the theory (Wilmott et al, Wilmott), this book maintains the balance between the two aspects. Moreover, it does not neglect numerical methods and gives details on several algorithms for option pricing ( trees, Finite Difference, Monte Carlo) Finally, and perhaps this point is very important, the book maintains a reasonable volume while treating all these topics AND maintaining a high level of scientific rigor: all statements and notations are precise and oversimplification is avoided. Advanced topics such as variational inequalities for American options and HJM theory of interest rates are also included.

Some drawbacks of the book are: - a complete absence of empirical data/ real life figures - no description of various kinds of derivative products, why they are used,... But then, what can you ask for in such a small volume?

If you are an engineering/maths student and you want to discover what mathematical finance is about, I recommend you this book instead of John Hull's book.

A good INTRODUCTION to ONE part of finance.......1999-03-14

As precisely mentioned in the title, this book is only an introduction; and it is not an introduction to finance, but to stochastic calculus applied to finance.

The buyer of this book should therefore be aware of three facts:

1. After having read this book you are not (yet) an expert on stochastic calculus applied to finance. You have to continue with other books mentioned in Lamberton/Lapeyre. But this book is an excellent framework that leads you to many important results, omiting proofs that are only technical.

2. Mathematics is used in many other areas of Finance too (Time Series Analysis for example). What is treated in this book is only a very small part of Finance Mathematics, but an important one.

3. One should read another book with more economic background at the same time.

The authors begin with discrete-time models to present many important ideas in a (mathematically) simple environment before treating the contiuous models. Introduction to stochastic integration and stochastic differential equations is brief. Stochastic integration is only with respect to the standard browning motion. After having reached the Black-Scholes model and american options, the approach via partial differential equations is treated, followed by interest rate models, models with jumps and, a good idea: a chapter on simulations.

The book has very few mistakes, no important ones, only a strange layout failure on pages 6 to 7.

So I highly recommend this book as an INTRODUCTION to ONE important part of finance mathematics if read in combination with another book with more economic background. It can especially be used for upper graduate student seminars or as a basis for lecture courses.

A stochastic approach of finance for engineers!.......1998-07-28

The french initial version of this book has been one of my first technical papers that deal with stochastic calculus towards finance. It is written by and for engineers I must admit, but students in actuarial sciences (like me) won't be lost by so many formulas and equations if they agree to read with a piece of paper and a pencil on the hand. I have worked on the Vasicek's model and the simulations described have helped me a lot. Too bad that the lattice model is not explored. Anyway it is a good preparation before the opening of "Brownian Motion and Stochastic Calculus" from Karatzas & Shreve.

INTRODUCTION TO STOCHASTIC CALCULUS APPLIED TO FINANCE

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INTRODUCTION TO STOCHASTIC CALCULUS APPLIED TO FINANCE
D., & B. Lapeyre Lamberon
Manufacturer: Chapman & Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PLUL3A

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Introduction to Stochastic Calculus Applied to Finance.
D. Lamberton
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000M4UY78

Book Description

Volume 5: Ornamental Plants deals with trees, shrubs, and flower crops including foliage plants. The effects of nutrient deficiencies and toxicities are given for commonly grown examples of ornamental trees and shrubs, bedding pants and foliage and landscaping plants. Guidelines for the use of this information to identify nutrient problems in a wide range of plants, including those not mentioned in the book, are given. Professional horticulturalists and home gardeners will find this information of great value.

Plant Nutrient Disorders Vol 5 contains the largest published collection of colour photographs of nutritional disorders in ornamental plants, and the most complete set of plant analysis standards for ornamental plants available.

Other volumes in this series are:

Volume 1: Temperate and Subtropical Fruit and Nut Crops
Volume 2: Tropical Fruit and Nut Crops
Volume 3: Vegetable Crops
Volume 4: Pastures and Field Crops

. Largest international published collection of photographs of nutrient disorders
2. Useful for both professional and home gardeners. Largest international published collection of photographs of nutrient disorders

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Some statistical applications in X-ray crystallography (International series in natural philosophy)
R Srinivasan
Manufacturer: Pergamon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Crystallography | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books
General & Reference | Chemistry | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0080180469

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Some Statistical Applications in X-Ray Crystallography. International Series in Natural Philosophy, Volume 83
S. Parthasarathy R. Srinivasan
Manufacturer: Pergamon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OGH9DG

Book Description

This is a book about the interpretation of quantum mechanics, in particular how to resolve the measurement problem introduced by the orthodox interpretation of the theory. The heart of the book is a new result that shows how to construct all possible "no collapse" interpretations, subject to certain natural constraints and the limitations imposed by the hidden variable theorems. From this perspective one sees precisely where things have gone awry and what the options are. Various interpretations, including Bohm's causal interpretation, Bohr's complementarity interpretation, and the modal interpretation are shown to be special cases of this result, for different choices of a "preferred" observable. A feature of the book is a novel treatment of the main hidden variable theorems, and an extended critique of contemporary "decoherence" theories of measurement. The discussion is self-contained and organized so that the technical portions may be skipped without losing the argument.

Customer Reviews:

A rare treatment.......2006-10-05

This book provides a clear treatment of a number of technical
results in the foundations of quantum mechanics rarely presented
in books.

Amazon.com

"Once upon a midnight dreary" is perhaps the best time to peruse the tales of horror and suspense in The Raven and the Monkey's Paw. For a generation raised on the quick-and-gory thrills of Stephen King or Anne Rice, the literary terrors of a previous age such as Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat or Edith Wharton's Afterwards are of a subtler nature. Rest assured, however. Any one of these stories or poems will elevate the hair on the back of your neck. The Victorians, after all, invented the horror genre, and it's no accident that many of their creations, from Bram Stoker's Dracula to Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Grey, have provided the inspiration for successive generations of authors as well as numerous filmmakers.

The stories and poems in this collection are at the top of their class. Take for instance Ambrose Bierce's "The Boarded Window." Though the story is brief--just a few pages long--when the secret of that window is finally revealed, it's macabre enough to stick in your mind for years, and only gets scarier over time. W.W. Jacobs works similar black magic in "The Monkey's Paw," a cautionary tale about being careful what you wish for. And Charles Dickens himself gets into the act with a ghost story, "The Signalman." Even readers who generally eschew horror will find these elegant tales from the dark side strangely compelling. So latch the windows, ignore the "tapping at your chamber door," and let your blood be curdled by the masters. --Alix Wilber

Book Description

The third in the Modern Library's series of original compilations, The Raven and the Monkey's Paw is a collection of classic tales and poems to engage our fear-seeking senses. The beauty of these stories and poems lies in their readability: ideal for sharing aloud around the campfire or for a quick, thrilling dip . . . under
the covers with a flashlight. The writing itself sends as many awe-inspired shivers down the spine as do the ghosts and goblins on these pages.
        Edgar Allan Poe, the master of the horror story and the chiming lyric poem, opens the volume with his best-loved stories: "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," "The Black Cat," "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Pit and the Pendulum," "The Premature Burial," "The Tell-Tale Heart," "Berenice," and "Ligeia." Every bit as chilling now as on the day they were written, these tales retain their power to stir the reader again and again. Poe, who was as well known for his poems as for his stories, is also represented by such verse standards as "The Raven," "Lenore," "To Helen," "Ulalume," and "Annabel Lee," among others.
        Numerous other practitioners of the supernatural story are included: Edith Wharton, with her gripping "Afterward"; Charles Dickens and his famed ghost story "The Signalman"; W. W. Jacobs, with this com-
pilation's inspiration, "The Monkey's Paw." Also here are Saki's engrossing "Sredni Vashtar"; O. Henry's story of love lost and hopes dashed, "The Furnished Room"; Wilkie Collins's lively "A Terribly Strange Bed"; and "The Boarded Window," Ambrose Bierce's tale of the bizarre.
        A year-round collection for reading aloud--and frightening your friends--The Raven and the Monkey's Paw will gratify all manner of thrill-seekers.
The Modern Library has played a significant role in American cultural life for the better part of a century. The series was founded in 1917 by the publishers Boni and Liveright and eight years later acquired by Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer. It provided the foundation for their next publishing venture, Random House. The Modern Library has been a staple of the American book trade, providing readers with affordable hardbound editions of important works of literature and thought. For the Modern Library's seventy-fifth anniversary, Random House redesigned the series, restoring as its emblem the running torchbearer created by Lucian Bernhard in 1925 and refurbishing jackets, bindings, and type, as well as inaugurating a new program of selecting titles. The Modern Library continues to provide the world's best books, at the best prices.

Customer Reviews:

read this or else!.......2006-01-12

In this book you get 8 stories and 8 poems by Edgar Allan Poe and 7 other stories by different authors. These are classic horror stories so they aren't filled with monsters or other types of ghouls and the stories play out slowly. The stories will still give you a more suttle type of terror while reading them. Nothing action pact really happens but it's in the mood of the story that scares the reader. I felt that Edgar Allan Poe's stories and poems were better than the other stories because they gave off more of a creepy vibe than the other stories did. The other stories were good but the only one I didn't like too much was "Afterward" because it's too long.

So if you like 18th century gothic horror stories then this is a book for you but if you're more into Stephen King type novels then this book might seem a bit boring.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing Amount of Detail and Very Readable.......2005-05-12

I don't know when I last picked up an encyclopedia and read it cover to cover, but I did this one. It was truly fascinating in its depth and understanding. I spent more time on Volume One, Chemical and Biological Weapons because I know less about them than the Nuclear Weapons covered in Volume Two.

I can't swear that the information in Volume One is totally accurate, but the information in Volume Two is dead on. And therefore I have to presume that Volume One is the same.

The books cover everything from the earliest experiments and incidents to very recent data. There are hundreds of entries, each written by a specialist in that particular area. The entries on World War II alone cover an amazing amount of material that simply isn't generally known.

This includes things like the Japanese Unit 731, the Porton Down research establishment in England, the production in the United States of 150,000 tons of chemical warfare agents as well as bacterial warfare agents containing some pretty nasty things like Cholera, Anthrax.

Another tidbit that I didn't know -- The strain of Anthrax used in the 2001 incidents was one produced at Texas A&M for the US Army researchers. As I said, my knowledge in this area is weak. So perhaps this was more commonly known, but it was a surprise to me.

On the nuclear side virtually everything is covered from the first design work in World War II to the North Korean Nuclear Weapons Program's announcements in 2002.

If I have to pick out anything wrong with these books, it would be that I noticed one or two typos. And of course, I would like to see even more included, a good report on the SL-1 reactor accident for instance, the biggest (non-bomb) radiation leak in the US. To be sure you can find out about this on the web, and where do you stop when your book is already over a thousand pages.

Very highly recommended.

Top Notch: Young Adult Reference.......2004-12-30

Weapons of Mass Destruction: An Encyclopedia of Worldwide Policy, Technology, and History, 2 volumes by Jeff Larsen, James Wirtz, Eric Croddy (ABC-CLIO) (1-85109-495-4 On-line e-book, see publisher)

The first accessible reference to cover the history, context, current issues, and key concepts surrounding biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons.

The United States has conducted some 900 atomic tests since 1945 and has stockpiled enough smallpox vaccine to inoculate most of the U.S. population. The topic of weapons of mass destruction is perhaps the most controversial subject of our time. Policy debates require understanding of key issues, concepts, and events.

A collection of information on everything from aerosols to zones of peace, these two volumes cover historical background, technology, and strategic implications of biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons, thus providing facts, terms, and context needed to participate in contemporary policy debate. This encyclopedia is the only comprehensive reference dedicated to the three types of weapons of mass destruction.
With over 500 entries arranged alphabetically, volume one covers biological and chemical weapons, while volume two focuses on nuclear weapons. Experts from eight countries cover issues related to these weapons, policies, strategies, technologies, delivery vehicles, arms control concepts, treaties, and key historical figures and locations. Entries are written to make difficult concepts easy to understand by cutting through military and scientific jargon. Students, lay readers, scientists, and government policy makers are provided with the broad range of information needed to place today's policy discussions in proper strategic or historical context.
Title Features
Over 500 A-Z entries written by 95 international experts, organized in two volumes divided by types of weapons
Timeline that covers leading political, military, and weapons-specific events since 1945
Excerpts from key international documents
Combined index (with volume numbers noted) at the end of each volume
Includes numerous illustrations and photographs
Highlights
The only comprehensive reference of policies, events, places, technical terms, and historical context regarding weapons of mass destruction
Volumes organized by like weapons so each can be used independently to study the topic or weapon of particular interest
Alphabetical listings and combined indexing in each volume provide an increased ability to browse and quick access to specific entries

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Interesting to the biologist too

Breaking symmetry to uncover one theory that rules them all

AN EARFUL ON SYMETRY AND AN EYEFUL AS WELL

it kinda connects everything

Fearful Symmetry: Is God a Geometer? (Penguin Science)
Ian Stewart , and Martin Golubitsky
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0140130470

Customer Reviews:

Interesting to the biologist too.......2004-06-23

I really didn't knew exactly what to expect. I have to say I wasn't disappointed, but was a little overwhelm with some new concepts (maybe it was just that I read this book while in my honeymoon). Anyway, I am no mathematics genius (I'm really far from that) but I'm a curious guy and this book fulfill my eager, while by the way make me use some slept neurons hibernating since my college days. My background is not mathematical, but you don't need much mathematics to drive you through to book, besides it was really interesting to see biological applications of mathematical abstractions. This was a wonderful read without troubling with numbers and formulas.

Breaking symmetry to uncover one theory that rules them all.......2002-11-25

Breaking Symmetry is certainly a magic term in this book. With the use of innumerable real-life examples and the use of dozens of pictures Stewart and Golubitsky try to illustrate the basic concept of the "Theory-That-Covers-Everything". Being confronted with the dissection of physical phenomenon into degrees of symmetry, gives the reader enough reason to believe that the "big theory" might ultimately be uncovered by using the mathematical tool of Breaking Symmetry. But this book also points out that scientists are still far away from reaching this ultimate goal.

The patterns discussed in this book takes you to the invisible world of quarks, then shows you the wonderful stripes on the fur of a tiger and finally let you surf the spiral-arms of our Galaxy. Clearly it gives the reader the opportunity to have a taste from more than one scientific discipline: Biology, Physic, Chemistry, Maths, they are all addressed in this book.

But be aware: you must keep yourself very alert while reading it, because the train of thought is not always easy to follow. Apart from the sometimes strange jumps, the narration is very clear and easy to understand, which will certainly enable you to get more insight into the fascinating world of symmetry.

AN EARFUL ON SYMETRY AND AN EYEFUL AS WELL.......2000-08-17

This book really improved my understanding of what physicists are talking about when they speak of Symmetry Breaking. The book makes it possible for you to understand the underpinnings of this concept whilst doing nothing more intellectual than pouring the milk onto your breakfast cereal. Lots of good illustrations.Nothing to be frightened of in this book.

it kinda connects everything.......1998-08-30

It really trys to connect everything and show that nature is not random. It lets you appreciate math in everyday life and lets you understand the intelligence of nature.

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Fearful Symmetry : Is God a Geometer?
Ian; Golubitsky, Martin Stewart
Manufacturer: Blackwell Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OM6OT0

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Fearful Symmetry, Is God a Geometer?
Ian and Martin Golubitsky Stewart
Manufacturer: Blackwell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MXYNMQ

Fearful Symmetry: Is God a Geometer? (Penguin Science)

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Fearful Symmetry: Is God a Geometer? (Penguin Science)
Ian Stewart;Martin Golubitsky
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ6OZW

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A Common Tale

If you want to know the legacy of Texas, this book is a must

Land of Bears and Honey: A Natural History of East Texas
Joe C. Truett , and Daniel W. Lay
Manufacturer: University of Texas Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Ecology | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Natural History | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
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The Stories of I.C. Eason King of the Dog People

Lone Star: A History of Texas and the Texans

ASIN: 0292781342

Customer Reviews:

A Common Tale.......2007-01-05

This is a beautifully written natural history book and if you're interested in East Texas, this book will hold particular interest. The mix of perspectives adds a unique twist on what is a common story of a great land that has been spoiled by human activities.

If you want to know the legacy of Texas, this book is a must.......1998-12-07

This book is written by people who know east Texas. It covers disappearing lands, rivers and animals like no other book on the area. Full of natural lore, local wonders and peculiar stories, it fills you with a bit of Texas' natural legacy.

Land of Bears and Honey: A Natural History of East Texas

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Land of Bears and Honey: A Natural History of East Texas
Joe C.; Lay, Daniel W. Truett
Manufacturer: University of Texas Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ORDV3M

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