Optimization algorithms - use cases in finance

Quasar Chunawala

Quasar Chunawala

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Hi all,

I have been programming some optimization algorithms during my spare time [link to the git repo] - just the basics such as GD, CGD, DIRECT, simulated annealing. I thought of creating my own little Julia package out of it - inspired by Optim.jl. What areas of finance is mathematical programming used?

If possible, I'd like to implement a small homegrown toy project.

Thanks,
Quasar.
 
Quasar Chunawala said:
Hi all,

I have been programming some optimization algorithms during my spare time [link to the git repo] - just the basics such as GD, CGD, DIRECT, simulated annealing. I thought of creating my own little Julia package out of it - inspired by Optim.jl. What areas of finance is mathematical programming used?

If possible, I'd like to implement a small homegrown toy project.

Thanks,
Quasar.
Click to expand...
That's 3 questions

1. optimisation
2. Julia
3. Finance

Learn all 3 at once??

I would focus on least squares in C/C++. Then goto next level.

Linear least squares - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
 
Daniel Duffy said:
That's 3 questions

1. optimisation
2. Julia
3. Finance

Learn all 3 at once??

I would focus on least squares in C/C++. Then goto next level.

Linear least squares - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
Click to expand...
Hi Daniel,

My maxim : "stay hungry, stay foolish". But, I completely submit, that being structured, trying to learn a thing at a time will help.

I started writing code in Julia, as I felt, it's well suited to the problem domain of OR/optimization, perhaps it's the closest to human readable pseudo-code/algorithms. Super-excited to try and code solvers & implement the formulae from the books(my main reference is (i) Chong & Zak (ii) Nocedal), unit test on test functions.
 
Do you mean Nocedal and Wright? mathematically advanced and too theoretical for the current project. It is black belt stuff.

Bronson "Operations Research" (Schaum) is super!

A bit of free/non-binding advice..

I use Nocedal _And_ Nocedal at different times for different reasons.
Python has all that stuff. You could use it on the same problems as Julia ;)
Julia is probably OK but it is a quiche language IMHO, just like Rust etc.

Anyways, "different strokes for different folks", no one size fits all :)
 
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Quasar Chunawala said:
Thanks so much Ken. 🙂
Click to expand...
link.springer.com

Linear and Dynamic Modelisations of Defeasance Operations

This article deals with the modelisation of defeseance strategies chosen by industrial firms or financial institutions. In the first parts, we present the financial concepts and the classical formulations of defeseance based on linear programming and duality theory....
link.springer.com link.springer.com
I believe LP is also used in the leasing business, but I have no direct experience with that.
 
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Attachments

Daniel Duffy said:
Do you mean Nocedal and Wright? mathematically advanced and too theoretical for the current project. It is black belt stuff.

Bronson "Operations Research" (Schaum) is super!
Click to expand...

Yeah, Nocedal and Wright, only, referring to teeny weeny bits of it though, would be an overkill otherwise.

Thanks for suggesting about Bronson.
 
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Another scenario is solving the Portfolio optimisation problem by using the existing libraries in Julia. Of course, it is possible to write your own code but why bother unless you want to become a numerical analyst?
 
Daniel Duffy said:
Another scenario is solving the Portfolio optimisation problem by using the existing libraries in Julia. Of course, it is possible to write your own code but why bother unless you want to become a numerical analyst?
Click to expand...
Solving the portfolio optimization problem is the number one scenario for me. Daniel, to begin with, I won't feel full, if I don't write a naive implementation of the meat of the algorithm. After a point of course, I'll just start using some QP solvers.

I am also keen to write some automatic differentiation code.

I'll post my stuff in this thread, it'll be good to get some feedback from folks out here.
 
The nice thing about Bronson is that it's got good examples that can be done with pencil and paper. Once that is done means the step to coding is easy and better than trial-and-error programming.
 
Quasar Chunawala said:
Solving the portfolio optimization problem is the number one scenario for me. Daniel, to begin with, I won't feel full, if I don't write a naive implementation of the meat of the algorithm. After a point of course, I'll just start using some QP solvers.

I am also keen to write some automatic differentiation code.

I'll post my stuff in this thread, it'll be good to get some feedback from folks out here.
Click to expand...
This was my view. My experience with this was in the 1980s, so I did it using the linear algebra functions in Lotus 123, which for those under 50, is kind of like Latin compared with modern Italian. Getting my hands dirty with the actual calculus was very helpful.
 
Anyone out there used Visicalc on Apple II

en.wikipedia.org

VisiCalc - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

It represented a revolution in personal computing. It was popular with e.g. cost engineers.

"VisiCalc isn't as easy to use as prepackaged home accounting programs, because you're required to design both the layout and the formulas used by the program. Because it is not pre-packaged, however, it's infinitely more powerful and flexible than such programs. You can use VisiCalc to balance your checkbook, keep track of credit card purchases, calculate your net worth, do your taxes—the possibilities are practically limitless."
 
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Ken Abbott said:
This was my view. My experience with this was in the 1980s, so I did it using the linear algebra functions in Lotus 123, which for those under 50, is kind of like Latin compared with modern Italian. Getting my hands dirty with the actual calculus was very helpful.
Click to expand...
Indeed. In many cases the best way to understand a model is to work out all the steps by hand in simplest case with pencil and paper, e.g. 2X2 case. Then automate the process.
 
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