Applications of fractional diffusion in option pricing
Jan Korbel
Workshop Fractional Differential Equations, Applications and Complex Networks, Lorentz Center, Leiden

slides available at: slides.com/jankorbel
References:
[1] Physica A 449 (2016) 200-214; 10.1016/j.physa.2015.12.125
[2] Fract. Calc. Appl. Anal. 19 (6) (2016) 1414-1433; 10.1515/fca-2016-0073
[3] Fractal Fract. 2 (1) (2018) 15; 10.3390/fractalfract2010015
[4] Fract. Calc. Appl. Anal. 21 (4) (2018) 981-1004; 10.1515/fca-2018-0054
[5] Risks 7 (2) (2019) 36; 10.3390/risks7020036
[6] Mathematics 7 (9) (2019) 796; 10.3390/math7090796
[7] Fract. Calc. Appl. Anal. 23 (4) (2020) 996-1012; 10.1515/fca-2020-0052
[8] Risks 8 (4) (2020) 124; 10.3390/risks8040124
[9] Mathematics 9(24), 3198;10.3390/math9243198

Work [2] has been first discussed with Yuri Luchko here
more than 7 years ago



Review paper [6]

Recent paper [7] with Živorad and Johan
Option pricing
- First option pricing model (Black and Scholes 1973)
- based on ordinary Brownian motion
- Nobel prize in economics (Scholes, Merton) - 1997
-
In financial crises or in complex markets, the model cannot catch
realistic market dynamics- large drops, sudden shocks, memory effects
- Finite moment log-stable model (Carr and Wu 2003)
- based on Lévy-stable fractional diffusion
- enables large drops
- We generalize the models by using space-time fractional diffusion equation
Space-time fractional diffusion
The STFD equation is defined as
(0∗Dtγ−μ θDxα)g(x,t)=0
Caputo derivative: t0∗Dtγf(t)=Γ(⌈γ⌉−γ)1∫t0tdτ(t−τ)γ+1−⌈γ⌉f⌈γ⌉(τ)
Riesz-Feller derivative: F[θDxαf(x)](k)=−∣k∣αeisign(k)θπ/2F[f(x)](k)
Solution can be defined in terms of Mellin-Barnes transform
gα,θ,γ(x,t)=2πi1αx1∫c−i∞c+i∞Γ(1−αγy)Γ(2αα−θy)Γ(1−2αα−θy)Γ(αy)Γ(1−αy)Γ(1−y)(−μtx)ydy
[1] Physica A 449 (2016) 200-214
Space-time fractional diffusion
- γ=1,α=2 - ordinary Gaussian diffusion
- γ=1,α<2 - Lévy-stable diffusion
- γ=1,α=2 - diffusion with memory
- γ=1,α<2 - space-time fractional diffusion




[6] Mathematics 7 (9) (2019) 796
Space-time fractional option pricing
Price of European call option: C(S,K,τ)=∫−∞∞max{Se(r+μ)τ+x−K,0}gα,θ,γ(x,τ)dx
Interpretation of parameters:
- θ=max{−α,α−2}
- maximally asymmetric distribution
- power-law probability of drops (negative Lévy tail)
- Gaussian probability of rises (positive exponential tail
- α<2 - risk redistribution to large drops
- γ - risk redistribution in time
- γ<1 shorter contracts are more risky
- γ>1 longer contracts are more risky
[1] Physica A 449 (2016) 200-214; [3] Fractal Fract. 2 (1) (2018) 15
Space-time fractional option pricing
We can rewrite the option price via Mellin-Barnes representation: C(S,K,τ)=αKe−rτ∫c1−i∞c1+i∞∫c2−i∞c2+i∞(−1)t2Γ(1−αγt1)Γ(t2)Γ(1−t2)Γ(−1−t1+t2)
×(−logKS−(r+μ)τ)1+t1−t2(−μτ)−t1/α2πidt1∧2πidt2
This can be compactly represented as an integral over a complex differential 2-form:
C(S,K,τ)=αKe−rτ∫c+iR2ω
Its characteristic vector is Δ=(−1+αγ,1)
As a result, the integral can be expressed as a sum of residues, which can be simply written as a double sum

Residues of the differential 2-form
Double-series representation
By using residue summation in C2 it is possible to express the price in terms of rapidly-convergent double series ( L=logKS+rτ )
C(S,K,τ)=αKe−rτ n=0∑∞m=1∑∞n!Γ(1+αm−n)1(L+μτ)n(−μτ)2m−n

[4] Fract. Calc. Appl. Anal. 21 (4) (2018) 981-1004
- Pricing of more exotic types of options (American, digital,...) under the space-time fractional diffusion model and formulas for the risk sensitives ("the Greeks" - Gamma, Delta, Rho,...)
- [5] Risks 7 (2) (2019) 36; 10.3390/risks7020036
- [6] Mathematics 7 (9) (2019) 796; 10.3390/math7090796
Space-time fractional option pricing
More results
Subordinator representation
gα,θ,γ(x,t) can be represented as a subordinated process
gα,θ,γ(x,t)=∫0∞dlKγ(t,l)Lαθ(l,x)
- Lαθ(l,x) - Lévy-stable distribution with scaling parameter l
- Kγ(t,l - subordinator (smearing kernel)
- Kγ(t,l)= l1+1/γγt Lγγ(l1/γt)
- We compare with other subordinated models
- Variance gamma Kλ(t,l)= λ eλ (−t/l)
- Negative inverse-gamma Kα,β(t,l)=t/lΓ(α)e−t/lβ(t/lβ)α
[1] Physica A 449 (2016) 200-214; [8] Risks 8 (4) (2020) 124

Subordinator representation



Space-time fractional option pricing with varying order of fractional derivatives
[3] FCAA 19 (6) (2016) 1414-1433
- One of the important aspects of financial markets is switching between different regimes - conjuncture vs crisis
- Long-term scaling properties remain stable for each stock.
- This requires a time-dependent description by fractional diffusion of varying order.
- Let us define intervals Ti=(ti;ti+1)
- Dynamics described by a space-time fractional diffusion in each interval (ti∗Dtγi−μ θDxΩγi)g(x,t)=0 with initial conditions: gi(x,ti):=gi−1(x,ti), g0(x,0):=f(x)
- For γi>1 we add ∂t∂gi(x,t)∣t=ti=0
- The overall solution is given as a convolution g(x,t)=f(x)⋆g0(x,t1−t0)⋆⋯⋆gi(x,t−ti)for t∈Ti
Space-time fractional option pricing with varying order of fractional derivatives
- The stable parameter is defined as αi=Ωγi so that Ω=γiαi remains the same among all intervals Ti and characterizes the scaliung of g(x,t)dx=tΩ1g(tΩx)dx
- Omega can be estimated e.g., from diffusion entropy analysis S(t)=−∫g(x,t)lng(x,t)=S(1)+Ωlnt
- This can be used, e.g., to model diffusion in a temporally abnormal period (crisis)
- We distinguish two intervals
- short-term behavior affected by immediate dynamics
- long-term behavior characterized by scaling properties
- This regime switch can be described by g(x,t) as an overlap between space-time fractional
diffusion (t≤τ ) and Lévy flight (\tau \leq t). - Considering Ω as a system-characterized scaling exponent we obtain g(x,t)={gΩγ,γθ(x,t)[gΩγ,γθ(τ)⋆LΩθ(t−τ) ](x)t≤τt>τ
Space-time fractional option pricing with varying order of fractional derivatives

Space-time fractional option pricing with varying order of fractional derivatives

Applications of Hilfer-Prabhakar fractional diffusion to option pricing
[3] FCAA 23 (4) (2020) 996-1012
- We also generalize the time-fractional derivative to a more generalized operator - Hilfer-Prabhakar derivative.
- We define the following functions:
- Generalized Mittag-Leffler function Eρ,μγ(t):=k=0∑∞Γ(γ)Γ(ρk+μ)Γ(γ+k)tk
- Rescaled GML function eρ,μ,ωγ(t):=tμ−1Eρ,μγ(ωtρ)
- Prabhakar integral (Iρ,μ,ω,0+γf)(t):=∫0t(t−y)μ−1Eρ,μγ[ω(t−y)ρ]f(y)dy
- Prabhakar derivative (Dρ,μ,ω,0+γf)(x):=dxmdm(Iρ,m−μ,ω,0+−γf)(x)
- Generalized Hilfer-Prabhakar derivative (Dρ,ω,0+γ,μ,νf)(x):=(Iρ,ν(n−μ),ω,0+−γνdxndnIρ,(1−ν)(n−μ),ω,0+−(γ)(1−ν)f)(x)
- The log-price evolution is then driven by the fractional diffusion equation Dρ,μ,ω,0+γg(x,t)=κdx2d2g(x,t)
- The initial conditions are: u(x,0)=g(x), ∂t∂u(x,t)∣t=0=h(x)
- We can then calculate the value of the European call option if the underlying stock is driven by the aforementioned FDE
u(x,t)=c+u+(x,t)ξx≥0(x)+c−u−(x,t)ξx<0(x)
u+(x,t)=n=0∑∞ Φ−2n(x)(−κ)n eρ,μn+1,ωγn(t)
u−(x,t)=n=0∑∞(2n+1)!κn+1∣x∣2n+1eρ,−μ(n+1)+1,ω−γ(n+1)(t)
The fundamental solution of the FDE:
Thus, the option price can be expressed as
C(S,K,τ)=c+C+(S,K,τ)+c−C−(S,K,τ)
C+(S,K,τ) = max{Se(r+q)τ−K,0}+ ϕK(Se(r+q)τ)n=1∑∞(−κ)neρ,μn+1,ωγn(τ)
C−(S,K,τ)=n=0∑∞(2n+1)!κn+11eρ,−μ(n+1)+1,ω−γ(n+1)(τ) ×(e(r+q)τγ(2(n+1),log(Se(r+q)τ/K))2(n+1)K (log(Se(r+q)τ/K))2(n+1))
where ϕK(x)=x if x>K and ϕK(x)=0 if x<K, and γ is the incomplete gamma function.
Finally, we obtain that
Thank you!
Applications of fractional diffusion in option pricing
By Jan Korbel
Applications of fractional diffusion in option pricing
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