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Andy, you're always leaps and bounds ahead....

Andy, this is a great list, but it seems to be tailored to those who are looking to get into the industry. The old list also included books on programming, volatility, credit, etc. It would be helpful to include those categories for those looking to extend their knowledge rather than break...

Thank you kindly. You're right. I think the initial download was the issue. I did a clean download, and its working like it should.

Bump: Boost_1_42_0 Has anyone had success building the latest boost release on Windows? Following the tutorial here is not working for this release. I've attached a screen shot of my error message.

Nice! I wonder if Lusha is raising new funds. I'll invest.

Makes me want to put my hands on my face....

My response to that would be: If the quant shop is successful then it does any combination of the following: - adds value for share holders - enables a bank to provide liquidity --> which promotes economic growth --> facilitates lending to large and small business --> helps create...

The BBC is starting ( maybe starting is not the right word ) to sound like a Hollywood tabloid. I bet their tone is different during the next bubble.

I would have to say the answer is ( almost surely ): it depends. In one scenario, you could be competing with someone with a similar skill set for a job, and the hiring manager could use that GPA as the deciding factor. This was the case in one interview I recently had. On the other hand, the...

Although I think financial accounting is nice to know ( it teaches you the language of business ), it will provide marginal value towards an MFE track. I think you'll find corporate finance is a waste of money in this field - you really don't have to use monte carlo or finite difference methods...

STL containers are very useful and good to know: vectors, maps, lists, etc. You can encapsulate most data that you work with through these. Another good source is boost ( Boost C++ Libraries ). If you are learning c++, I recommend getting to know boost since there are many useful libraries...

You just sound like you're bitter and angry. And that's no sweat off my back. This entire thread should just be wiped clean from QN because it's pure garbage.

That is the most ridiculous thing I've read all day. I hope who ever told you that one bought your drink, too.

If you are going to live your life like this, you're going to get burned. And chances are, you do not have a political war machine to spin your reputation back into good standing.

If you are using this simulation for estimation, I think you should use P-measure. On the other hand, if you were using this simulation to come up with a value for a contract, I think you might then use Q.

University of Phoenix. I do not recommend it, not even if you have 0 programming experience. I did not do this for C++, but for other languages I've since picked up I have found O'Reilly books to be as good as any course if your intent is just to learn the language. If you want to pick up...

One place to try ( though not online ) is community college. Many schools offer programming courses in the evening, and the tuition is likely less than what you would find taking an internet course. You also get the benefit of interacting directly with a professor. Before starting my MFE I...

as bjam would say:

This is one example of a thread that was in need of some closure. After some time, I think I have figured it out. For anyone interested in doing something computationally intensive, but afraid to use python because it would be too slow, this may prove to be a good solution. I understand that...

I think, though, there is still a lot of uncertainty about the cloud. Mostly this is because once you hand over your data to a cloud service, it is not guaranteed to be yours alone. As well, it may be difficult to move your data should you choose to use another cloud service in the future.

What?? No liquid cuisine?

Isn't a statement of purpose just explaining why you want to pursue a higher education in a particular field? I'm sure you've thought long and hard why you actually want to get an MFE, especially when there are so many MFE's who can't find work right now. Just collect those reasons into essay...

It really depends what kind of investing you're interested in. If your interest is more along the lines of algorithmic trading, then an MFE definitely gives you a useful foundation. However, if you are more interested in buy-and-hold / best-of-breed investing, then MFE stills will not help...

Maybe we are an outlier.

I really don't think you'd be laughed out for having MFE on your resume.

This applies to just about anything in life. My view is that the gifted and talented eventually peak and are forced to either learn to work hard or remain at their peak. Work hards and try hards become optimizers as they muscle their way along.

I think I would teach them how to fish ( perhaps for some sort of trade in return ). If the others want to fish bad enough, they'll figure out a way to do it and keep you out of the loop. If you opt to teach them, you are still in the loop, and you may get something in return.

Hi Weidong. Yes, they are. I'm going to post them in the garch thread for the class forum as soon as Quantnet lets me. Right now it's not letting post the file. roger

I would suggest narrowing your scope. For example, ".... which asset classes would a long-term retail investor choose", or "... an institutional fund ... ". The portfolio of assets and constraints would likely be different based on your target investor. I wish I could offer better advice...

I suppose 5K could be close to a marathon if you only have one leg and no toes. But I'm guessing he probably does not have that going for him, either.

The only easy answer to this is some change is better than status quo. On one side, legalizing them will probably cost less time, effort and money than deporting them ( time and again ). Plus, they will then be tax payers instead of social drains. On the other side, what is the message sent...

My advice to you would be to reach out to several programs and try to contact students and faculty. Easier said than done for many programs, but that will be your best shot at getting your answer.

I can vouch for that. Simple case: Interviewer: You know object oriented programming? Interviewee: Yes, I program in C++, Java, .... Interviewer: What is the difference between an object and a class? Interviewer: How would you use dynamic memory allocation? .... You can't bs questions like...

Is that via Monte Carlo?

There is irony in Moore: Living proof that in the USA you can be a stupid populist and make a lot of fame and fortune. I wonder if he would meet the same success in another country. Taken on another level, the film actually looks entertaining.

What happens if she eats too much chocolate before lecturing?

They're quick, though. You have to wear sneakers.

Take a look at the Black-Litterman model. You can run a numerical analysis on the components of the dow to come up with 'views' of the market. The model incorporates those views as an improvement over the traditional Markowitz MVO model.

I think you could probably set that up easily as a non linear optimization problem. Excel solver should do the trick. If you're using something like python, try openopt. If you're using a .net like C#, try MS solver foundation.

I find quantmod to be the most useful along with fgarch and tawny. Beat Navy.

Here's one application: Let's say you want to construct an optimal portfolio that incorporates views of the market. Let's also say your investment horizon is one month. In order to develop views you build a factor model that estimates where the assets in your portfolio will be in one month...

You might do better to put your undergrad education to work. There's big upside to UAV technology. But your question has been asked many times around here. Look around, and you might find your answer.

I was in the middle of tank gunnery at Fort Knox. We knew immediately we were no longer a peace-time army.

So, then I would ask the question: Did she do any homework before deciding to pay big bucks for a marginal education? Sounds to me like she would also sue her mortgage broker for allowing her to take out an ARM on a house she could not afford. Or she might also try to sue the agent who advised...

Your questions are too general. Look around some of the forums here, and you'll find variations of your questions addressed.

And don't you forget it!!! Beat Navy!

I recommend Joshi and Meyer's Effective C++ books. But like Alain said, you're best bet is to take pride in the 600 pages of C++ how to you've already read and just code. Pick some models and code them. While you're at it build some derivative or bond pricing engines. Once you've done that...

Unexpected, but there it is.

I stand corrected. If not trash, one could always try to be a longshoreman.... But away from the topic of jobs that are handed down through the generations, I have a hard time believing that we're coming to a point where people have to buy an unpaid internship in general ( excluding those who...

It makes me wonder if: 1. initial search = empty set -> panic -> fork out money for what ever you can get in desired industry. and / or 2. glut in select industries = scarcity in others ( perhaps just as rewarding ). I think the Department of Sanitation is looking for a few good hands.

I would also add that the army will be a good way for you to get focused. Eight years will pass before you know it. Then you will have a better idea of what you want. Military service won't count against you, unless you receive a dishonorable discharge.

Well, I can tell you my wife actually did print out our emails and save them when I was deployed. Not saying that everyone does this, but I'm sure she's not the only one. I think you're right about the value added in both worlds. The bridge is the old-fashioned printer, as my...

I think you just uncovered an untapped market. Hear me out: Play Trade: a sexy magazine for sexy tradesmen. A monthly periodical chalk full of vivid plumber butt shots and sweaty electricians working with high voltage.... I think people will read it mostly for the articles.

My guess is because that is what people want to hear. I think many people want to believe that all they have to do is go to college, and the rest will sort itself out. Those same people are the ones who sue at the drop of a hat, and can't understand why the world just isn't falling over itself...

Entitlement is a crutch. There are plenty of people in this world who make it on their own through a little bit of self-reliance and hard work.

This ought to get a debate brewing :D

Feliz Cumpleanos. I think you should take Aditya's wolf story and run with it.

Who needs mafia wars when you have this. I can see my productivity dropping off by the second.

One way to do it... With the help of Alain, Andy, Stefan, Pete and joshbaptiste, I finally found access onto QN. It's a big, big world out there, but there are few examples of how to gain access to password protected websites. So, for anyone who's interested, here is a way to do it in python...

I think he means classical garage, like Nirvana. I smell lithium.

Thank you both very much - mechanize is useful. Still having trouble with authentication, though. Does anyone know a good source of example code for this? Or if anyone could write a sample code here that describes how to do this ( simulating a browser, entering login info, and keeping the...

This question is oriented around python, but it is really about client authentication in general. My goal is to parse data from a website that requires a user name and password. Having been unsuccessful there, I decided to see if I could parse quantnet ( specifically the 9841 stats in finance...

Just apply to jobs. Or, search this forum for relevant answers to your question.

The article draws a simple-minded connection between numbers and models to mass casualty in Vietnam. The author probably has no clue as to the scores of American lives that were saved by McNamara's statistical models in WWII. I am perhaps too young to have strong feelings either way about the...

I use the smart pointers and date/time libraries the most. Shared and scoped pointers, and their array counterparts are useful in memory management. They reduce the need for 'new' and 'delete' almost entirely. Date/time is also useful, but I think you have to have the library built in order...

On number 2: I recommend learning C++ ( or Java, or C# ) from a generic book that teaches you the language. Most quant finance / C++ books I've seen are more useful if you already know how to program. So, get a book that teaches you how to program correctly, and then spend time building...

VBA help is not very useful. Typically my search queries yield explanations of error messages. If I want to figure out how to do something in VBA I have to go to the internet and search different forums. One example: I wanted to dynamically resize named ranges to facilitate manipulating...

Are you talking about structured products? Like pools of loans? If so, then I can tell you they are far from a lost cause. I think in a couple of years we'll see even more of them, but there will also be a central clearinghouse. Though vilified, they serve a useful purpose when they're not...

Are you thinking of corporate finance / M&A? You probably want to stick with the traditional MBA for that.

I already did. Let's just say I found a chink in the armor. Edit: Alain, perhaps you should make this a bonus task for your C++ refresher. There's got to be someone out there who can do what Chuck Norris can't. Now, I'm probably going to be stuck by lightning.

yup. I'm thinking the extra step requires telling bjam about where to find python. But I've tried several different combinations of build commands ( as referenced in boost documentation ) without success. I don't know, but I think Kim Jong-Il is behind all of this.

This looks like something you could read in The Onion.

I'm pretty sure that boost was installed correctly. I followed those instructions on that thread without issues. In following the build.boost link on the boost.python tutorial page I seem to get something to work. From the ...boost/libs/python/example/quickstart directory I invoked bjam as that...

Yes, this is where I'm getting stuck ( at the beginning ). Trying to build the example module, I'm following the initial steps as follows: 1. build bjam - the executable is placed in C:\Program Files\Boost\boost_1_37_0\tools\jam\src\bin.ntx86. This seems to work fine. 2. go to the example...

When I saw this article on Sunday the first thing that came to mind was Dr. Stefanica's spring course. I feel like I'm prepared to take on the real world with a little simulation...:D

Has anyone worked with Boost Python? I use boost. I use Python. But I cannot seem to get the boost/Python lib to work ( or even compile ). For anyone who knows, is there anything above and beyond what comes with the package documentation that has to be done? I am finding the documentation...

That's a good idea. Then he could wear the shirt to prove it's him. On another note, is it me, or is anyone else having a tough time getting all the random variables out of their head?

Perhaps .

I propose we do away with Mother's Day, and instead celebrate Banker's Day. That way we can express our gratitude for the apparent 'free ride' we've been on for so long now.

I think University of Phoenix is right up your alley.

For selfish reasons, I recommend before the 28th as I'll be out of town then. But if it is the 28th, I'll drink my face off in spirit. :D

Good point. I didn't think of that. Feeling much better about the whole thing now.

Pretty cool. Although this is what is going through my mind right now: First it will want to unionize. Then it will want to maintain a militia. Then we have Skynet...

Think of it in a path-dependent sense. The outcome of the test is dependent on your past performance. If you start out well, then you're on the high road ( answers count for more if you get them right than if you get them wrong ). If you start our poorly, then you're on the low road ( a right...

What Eugene is saying is that the computerized test gives you questions based on your current performance. So, if you get the first question right, then the next one will be a little tougher, and will carry a greater weight on your score. If you get the first question wrong, then the next...

Sounds like they're just misunderstood. In the name of the great capitalist:

Interesting take on corporate negotiations. I find it interesting how the French police do not regard kidnapping of this type to be an offense. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123871251471484469.html#articleTabs%3Darticle

Don't worry, though, when things really start to go south, the Fed will just make more cows.

Now that is some good advice :D

No.

Has anyone ever heard of, or used the Stocktrak trading simulator (www.stocktrak.com)? $15 a month to test various methods for losing money seems a bit steep for a student, so I am curious if anyone has ever used this tool?

I didn't even think about that. I can only say it in English. I guess it's time to become a populist:D

I think I'm going to apply. I've practiced all day, and I think I've gotten pretty good at saying "Have a magical day." Maybe if I work my *** off, someday they'll let me compute greeks on American options with Monte Carlo. The American Dream starts now.

Hope you're prepared: Mickey is a real ball buster, and Goofy likes to trip candidates up with questions on Brownian motion.

... And it's gone.... I love it. Very funny.

My recommendation would be to lean toward the hard sciences rather than finance. But as long as you do well in which ever program you choose, you'll probably be competitive either way. Max's point is dually noted.

Still a firm believer that Team Taurus' horse has yet to come in...

Although I agree with you, let's look at the other side of this. Maybe if every high-ranking govt official were born into wealth like Geithner the IRS would be a less fearsome entity.

Thank you kindly. I checked the error log. Sure enough, failure 5min 30 sec after start up in driver "UDFreadr". Appears to be some obsolete file.

About five minutes after I boot up my computer it makes a sound as if an error has occurred. The same sound you get when you have a run time error and the visual studio debug window pops up, or when you click a button that you are not supposed to. Only, no window pops up, and the computer...

I felt like it was mostly a sales pitch. It did motivate me to start learning R, though. I've only just started tinkering with it today, but it seems to me that you can do much of the same stuff with R for zero cost. I'm sure there are plenty out there who feel otherwise.

This might be a moot point, but to follow up on what Doug suggested, is it possible that somewhere in your normal tree routine you have an index off by one in some container? In other words, your normal ( on-tree ) values might compute fine even though you are violating the heap there. Then...

Maybe you have a secret admirer. I know what you mean, though. No matter how much I wash my hands, they still smell like stochastic...

For the masses, yes. But I think it is a very good layman's explanation of events.

I am finding Advanced Modelling in Finance using Excel and VBA to be a useful book. It is on the MFE reading list.

In filling out the registration form, I could not help but notice the plethora of salutation options. Though, I think they are missing a couple - Supreme Allied Commander, and God.

Are you going to be a full-time student? If so, I would strongly advise not looking for work on the street until you get through the first two semesters. First, I think you will find your time wasted looking for part-time employment in finance (at least in NY ) right now. More importantly...

I thought this link might bring some insight to our financial woes. Just substitute "the quants" for "Canada"... YouTube - South Park Uncut - Song - Blame Canada

Nothing like a good silver lining to light the way... Apparently, according to the comments, there are many different ways to write "Burn in hell." That's got to be worth something. On a constructive note: I wonder if the market is any better right now for new MBA's in finance? Talk smack...

Sounds like fun. I'm interested.

Dear Students, Alumni and Faculty, The Quant Network at Baruch's Financial Engineering MS Program is proud to present a talk from Mr. Robert Young, Director in the Mortgage Analysis group of Citi Markets and Banking. Location: TBD When: Friday, March 13, 2009 6:00 - 8:00pm There will be a...

Ahh... I have been on the customer end of SAP, and the integration of said platform to our factory. This joke is closer to truthful than humorous.

Hi Yuan, Just to make sure I'm clear what you're asking: are you talking about computing the risk neutral probability p with continuous dividends? If so, use (exp((r-q)dt) - d) / (u-d). If you're asking about discrete dividends, I have not tried it yet. rog

...And moose bites. I hear they're fatal....

In my opinion, there are three main reasons Baruch's programs stands out: 1. The program director is very dedicated to the students he takes on. 2. Admittance is highly selective, which leads to a more cohesive and smaller class. 3. The program is intense and largely focused on practical...

Just wanted to give a QN shout of support to the Baruch MFE team going to the trading competition in Toronto this weekend. Bring home a maple leaf!!!

Good questions. To answer your first question: in general ( not just the army ), yes. For example, your first 4 years in the army will probably take you to the rank of specialist, or sergeant if you are a strong performer. The other services have similar rank structures. Either way, it is...

A couple words of caution from a former soldier to anyone in this forum thinking of going this route. Enlisting ( or getting your commission if they offer it ) is a very honorable way to serve this nation. But, as with anything else, beware the downside risk: 1. Recruiters will tell you...

As the good book says: "Relax, and enjoy a homebrew." The good book in this case being The Complete Joy of Homebrewing.

If not, check out Hull. He explains all these concepts in fairly plain english.

ahhh, an excuse to have a drink!!! very nice. Feliz cumpleanos!

I guess when you get down to small numbers, they're really all just the same. So, 0.002 Million Trillion, is really just 0.002% of a basis point... And who says this country is falling behind in math?

dryer 'n a dead dingo's donga? Have a Fosters!!!

Like you said, nothing ground breaking, but the article did a wonderful job explaining the concepts and issues to my wife in such a way that I have not not been able to do.

This article sounds like something written in the Weekly World News to be read while waiting in the checkout line at the supermarket. Perhaps right next to "Bush meets with aliens to discuss fate of Gaza". If there's a civil war in the making, I think Russia is a better candidate than the US.

My recommendation is to take the ton of courses (Maths), unless you received A's in those courses. The GRE general test will be required, so you have to do well on that, but I would not waste time on the subject test. Performing well in advanced math courses will demonstrate you have both the...

Pretty bleak outlook. I would be interested to see if any MFE alumni out there feel the same way.

You said it, Dan - I'm parched....

Ahhh Thursday. I thought I was getting thirsty...

UPDATE-- It appears that the problem came from having a <vector> in one of my library files. Upon choosing to ignore the .lib file for vector in the file I was trying to build everything linked just fine. Perhaps someone out there more saavy than me can explain this better, but lessoned...

I do. Specifically, I've tried linking to a project with a main() within the solution where I created my library. I've also tried creating a separate project away from the solution with the same result. I'm thinking there's something in the linker tab not configured right.

I'm sure this is a simple question, but I am having some issues linking to a static library in VS2008. The link errors that I'm getting are: LIBCMTD.lib(dbgheap.obj) : error LNK2005: __CrtSetCheckCount already defined in MSVCRTD.lib(MSVCR90D.dll) LIBCMTD.lib(crt0dat.obj) : error LNK2005...

Didn't we go to the Bull's Head Tavern last spring? Perhaps we can stake a claim in that direction...

20th sounds like a good day to me.

Well, come to think of it, I am thirsty. Sounds like a plan.

I would say it's too late only if you decide to give up. Knowing your weaknesses means that you're ahead of the curve since you know what you have to work on in order to reach your goal. It sounds like you have plenty of time to catch up.

That's the spirit!!

Good point. After all, I heard Chuck Norris once kicked a man in his soul...