CONTENTS

Exercise: Where does μ\mu go?

The Black-Scholes PDE Vt+12σ2S2VSS+rSVSrV=0V_t + \tfrac12\sigma^2 S^2 V_{SS} + rSV_S - rV = 0 contains no μ\mu. Yet Itô's expansion of dVdV does contain a μ\mu term. The hedging construction is supposed to eliminate risk; how does it also happen to eliminate μ\mu?

Tasks

  1. Write out dVdV and d(VΔS)d(V - \Delta S) step by step, identifying all μ\mu terms. Verify that choosing Δ=VS\Delta = V_S cancels not only the dWdW term but also the μ\mu in the dtdt term.

  2. Explain in one sentence why it's not coincidence that the same hedge ratio cancels both terms simultaneously.

  3. Consider an option whose payoff depends on two correlated assets: dS1=μ1S1dt+σ1S1dW1dS_1 = \mu_1 S_1 dt + \sigma_1 S_1 dW_1 and dS2=μ2S2dt+σ2S2dW2dS_2 = \mu_2 S_2 dt + \sigma_2 S_2 dW_2 with dW1dW2=ρdtdW_1\,dW_2 = \rho\,dt. Derive the hedging argument and the resulting 2D PDE. Does μ1\mu_1 or μ2\mu_2 appear?

  4. Suppose instead the asset jumps: dS=μSdt+σSdW+SdJdS = \mu S\,dt + \sigma S\,dW + S\,dJ where dJdJ is a compound Poisson jump. Show that Δ=VS\Delta = V_S no longer creates a riskless portfolio — the jump risk is not hedgeable by trading only SS.

  5. What does the non-uniqueness of jump-option pricing tell you about the role of the hedging assumption in Black-Scholes?

Hint

For part 3, hedge with both S1S_1 and S2S_2: Π=VΔ1S1Δ2S2\Pi = V - \Delta_1 S_1 - \Delta_2 S_2, choose Δi=VSi\Delta_i = V_{S_i}.