Mathematics of Finance: An Intuitive Introduction

Introducing the basics of gambles through realistic scenarios, the text goes on to build the core financial techniques of Puts, Calls, hedging, and arbitrage. Chapters on modeling and probability lead into the centerpiece: the Black–Scholes equation. Omitting the mechanics of solving Black–Scholes itself, the presentation instead focuses on an in-depth analysis of its derivation and solutions. Advanced topics that follow include the Greeks, American options, and embellishments. Throughout, the author presents topics in an engaging conversational style. “Intuition breaks” frequently prompt students to set aside mathematical details and think critically about the relevance of tools in context.

Mathematics of Finance is ideal for undergraduates from a variety of backgrounds, including mathematics, economics, statistics, data science, and computer science. Students should have experience with the standard calculus sequence, as well as a familiarity with differential equations and probability. No financial expertise is assumed of student or instructor; in fact, the text’s deep connection to mathematical ideas makes it suitable for a math capstone course. A complete set of the author’s lecture videos is available on YouTube, providing a comprehensive supplementary resource for a course or independent study. Instructors who adopt the textbook for their course, please visit http://www.sn.pub/lecturer-material​ to obtain the PDF of a complete solutions manual.