Is it really possible to
make money on the financial markets? This is just one of the questions posed in this
practical and thought-provoking book, winner in the original french version, of the
"Best financial economics book" prize 1999 from the Institute de Haute Finance, and
the "Prix FNAC-Arthur Anderson du meilleur livre d'entreprise 2000". Starting with
games of chance, from which probability theory was born, Nicolas Bouleau explains how the
financial markets operate, and demonstrates how the application of mathematics has turned
finance into a high-tech business, as well as a formidable and efficient tool. The human
side of finance is also considered, with a look at the influence of the trader and the
working relationships that are woven into the market rooms. Concise and accessible, with
no previous knowledge of finance or mathematics required, the aim of this book is simply
to articulate the main ideas and put them into perspective, leading readers to a fresh
understanding of this complex area
Written for:
Practitioners, students, libraries, institutions
Table of contents
Introduction.- Part I:
Martingales.- Luck in the Casino; The Stock Market and Probability; Mathematical
Development Outside the Financial Sector.- Part II: Option Hedging: An Epistemological
Rupture.- The Unexpected Connection; A Different Approach; Hedging Risks Thanks to the
Market.- Part III: Science and Speculation.- A Complex Dynamic; Illusions of Chance; Three
Types of Speculation; Practical and Moral Values.- Part IV: The Stakes and the Payoffs.-
Markets and Economy; The Special Role of Finance in the Production of Knowledge; Power and
Innocence in Finance; Long Term Risks.- Conclusion.- Glossary.- Bibliography.- Index
150 pages