An Informal Introduction To Stochastic Calculus With Applications

Most branches of science involving random fluctuations can be approached by Stochastic Calculus. These include, but are not limited to, signal processing, noise filtering, stochastic control, optimal stopping, electrical circuits, financial markets, molecular chemistry, population dynamics, etc. All these applications assume a strong mathematical background, which in general takes a long time to develop. Stochastic Calculus is not an easy to grasp theory, and in general, requires acquaintance with the probability, analysis and measure theory.The goal of this book is to present Stochastic Calculus at an introductory level and not at its maximum mathematical detail. The author's goal was to capture as much as possible the spirit of elementary deterministic Calculus, at which students have been already exposed. This assumes a presentation that mimics similar properties of deterministic Calculus, which facilitates understanding of more complicated topics of Stochastic Calculus.The second edition contains several new features that improved the first edition both qualitatively and quantitatively. First, two more chapters have been added, Chapter 12 and Chapter 13, dealing with applications of stochastic processes in Electrochemistry and global optimization methods.This edition contains also a final chapter material containing fully solved review problems and provides solutions, or at least valuable hints, to all proposed problems. The present edition contains a total of about 250 exercises.This edition has also improved presentation from the first edition in several chapters, including new material.

This book presents a concise and rigorous treatment of stochastic calculus. It also gives its main applications in finance, biology and engineering. In finance, the stochastic calculus is applied to pricing options by no arbitrage. In biology, it is applied to populations' models, and in engineering it is applied to filter signal from noise. Not everything is proved, but enough proofs are given to make it a mathematically rigorous exposition.This book aims to present the theory of stochastic calculus and its applications to an audience which possesses only a basic knowledge of calculus and probability. It may be used as a textbook by graduate and advanced undergraduate students in stochastic processes, financial mathematics and engineering. It is also suitable for researchers to gain working knowledge of the subject. It contains many solved examples and exercises making it suitable for self study.In the book many of the concepts are introduced through worked-out examples, eventually leading to a complete, rigorous statement of the general result, and either a complete proof, a partial proof or a reference. Using such structure, the text will provide a mathematically literate reader with rapid introduction to the subject and its advanced applications. The book covers models in mathematical finance, biology and engineering. For mathematicians, this book can be used as a first text on stochastic calculus or as a companion to more rigorous texts by a way of examples and exercises./a

This compact yet thorough text zeros in on the parts of the theory that are particularly relevant to applications . It begins with a description of Brownian motion and the associated stochastic calculus, including their relationship to partial differential equations. It solves stochastic differential equations by a variety of methods and studies in detail the one-dimensional case. The book concludes with a treatment of semigroups and generators, applying the theory of Harris chains to diffusions, and presenting a quick course in weak convergence of Markov chains to diffusions. The presentation is unparalleled in its clarity and simplicity. Whether your students are interested in probability, analysis, differential geometry or applications in operations research, physics, finance, or the many other areas to which the subject applies, you'll find that this text brings together the material you need to effectively and efficiently impart the practical background they need.

Completely revised and greatly expanded, the new edition of this text takes readers who have been exposed to only basic courses in analysis through the modern general theory of random processes and stochastic integrals as used by systems theorists, electronic engineers and, more recently, those working in quantitative and mathematical finance. Building upon the original release of this title, this text will be of great interest to research mathematicians and graduate students working in those fields, as well as quants in the finance industry. New features of this edition include: End of chapter exercises; New chapters on basic measure theory and Backward SDEs; Reworked proofs, examples and explanatory material; Increased focus on motivating the mathematics; Extensive topical index. "Such a self-contained and complete exposition of stochastic calculus and applications fills an existing gap in the literature. The book can be recommended for first-year graduate studies. It will be useful for all who intend to work with stochastic calculus as well as with its applications."–Zentralblatt (from review of the First Edition)

The book presents an introduction to Stochastic Processes including Markov Chains, Birth and Death processes, Brownian motion and Autoregressive models. The emphasis is on simplifying both the underlying mathematics and the conceptual understanding of random processes. In particular, non-trivial computations are delegated to a computer-algebra system, specifically Maple (although other systems can be easily substituted). Moreover, great care is taken to properly introduce the required mathematical tools (such as difference equations and generating functions) so that even students with only a basic mathematical background will find the book self-contained. Many detailed examples are given throughout the text to facilitate and reinforce learning. Jan Vrbik has been a Professor of Mathematics and Statistics at Brock University in St Catharines, Ontario, Canada, since 1982. Paul Vrbik is currently a PhD candidate in Computer Science at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. .

Chapters 6-9 present methods for solving problems defined by equations with deterministic and/or random coefficients and deterministic and/or stochastic inputs. The Monte Carlo simulation is used extensively throughout to clarify advanced theoretical concepts and provide solutions to a broad range of stochastic problems.".

A highly readable introduction to stochastic integration and stochastic differential equations, this book combines developments of the basic theory with applications. It is written in a style suitable for the text of a graduate course in stochastic calculus, following a course in probability. Using the modern approach, the stochastic integral is defined for predictable integrands and local martingales; then It’s change of variable formula is developed for continuous martingales. Applications include a characterization of Brownian motion, Hermite polynomials of martingales, the Feynman–Kac functional and the Schrödinger equation. For Brownian motion, the topics of local time, reflected Brownian motion, and time change are discussed. New to the second edition are a discussion of the Cameron–Martin–Girsanov transformation and a final chapter which provides an introduction to stochastic differential equations, as well as many exercises for classroom use. This book will be a valuable resource to all mathematicians, statisticians, economists, and engineers employing the modern tools of stochastic analysis. The text also proves that stochastic integration has made an important impact on mathematical progress over the last decades and that stochastic calculus has become one of the most powerful tools in modern probability theory. —Journal of the American Statistical Association An attractive text...written in [a] lean and precise style...eminently readable. Especially pleasant are the care and attention devoted to details... A very fine book. —Mathematical Reviews