This volume represents the refereed proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Monte Carlo and Quasi-Monte Carlo Methods in Scienti?c Computing which was held in conjunction with the Second International C- ference on Monte Carlo and Probabilistic Methods for Partial Di?erential Equations at Juan-les-Pins, France, from 7-10 June 2004. The programme of this conference was arranged by a committee consisting of Henri Faure (U- versit' edeMarseille),PaulGlasserman(ColumbiaUniversity),StefanHeinrich (Universit. at Kaiserslautern), Fred J. Hickernell (Hong Kong Baptist Univ- sity), Damien Lamberton (Universit' e de Marne la Vall' ee), Bernard Lapeyre (ENPC-CERMICS), Pierre L'Ecuyer (Universit'edeMontr' eal), Pierre-Louis Lions (Coll' ege de France), Harald Niederreiter (National University of S- gapore, co-chair), Erich Novak (Universit. at Jena), Art B. Owen (Stanford University), Gilles Pag' es (Universit' e Paris 6), Philip Protter (Cornell U- versity), Ian H. Sloan (University of New South Wales), Denis Talay (INRIA Sophia Antipolis, co-chair), Simon Tavar' e (University of Southern California) and Henryk Wo' zniakowski (Columbia University and University of Warsaw). The organization of the conference was arranged by a committee consisting of Mireille Bossy and Etienne Tanr' e (INRIA Sophia Antipolis), and Madalina Deaconu(INRIALorraine). LocalarrangementswereinthehandsofMonique Simonetti and Marie-Line Ramfos (INRIA Sophia Antipolis).

Treasury securities represent the largest sector of interest rate markets. This book will provide securities newcomers with the tools they need to get up to speed and seasoned professionals with a valuable reference source. The book covers every aspect of the market, including: the basics, valuation techniques, risk analysis, and utilizing derivatives to control interest rate risk.

Emerging market stock issuance relative to GDP rose in the late twentieth century to levels that roughly matched that of advanced, industrial markets. Nonetheless, the connection between owning shares of emerging market stock and the ability to influence the management of these firms remains fundamentally different from the analogous institutional connection that has evolved in industrial markets. The reasons for the differences in emerging markets are both historical and political in nature. That is, local equity markets have had the objective of providing for some degree of local ownership and control of large economic entities since the late nineteenth century. However, local markets have operated under different global political structures since that time, ranging from imperialism, to world wars, to sovereign developmental states, to neo-liberal states. Shares issued under these different structures have been reconfigured over time, resulting in a lack of convergence along either the Anglo-American or Continental models of corporate governance. The author uses a political science paradigm to explain the growth of emerging equity markets. She departs from conventional economic explanations and examines politics at the micro-level of large issues of emerging market stock. The second half of the book presents case studies dealing with emerging market countries in Latin America, Asia, Russia and Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The case studies connect the regional, state, and firm levels to detail the multiple ownership and control arrangements, and to dispel the notion that mere quantitative growth of these markets will lead to a convergence in financial institutional structures along the lines of the industrial core of the world economy.

Financialization has become the go-to term for scholars grappling with the growth of finance. This Handbook offers the first comprehensive survey of the scholarship on financialization, connecting finance with changes in politics, technology, culture, society and the economy. It takes stock of the diverse avenues of research that comprise financialization studies and the contributions they have made to understanding the changes in contemporary societies driven by the rise of finance. The chapters chart the field's evolution from research describing and critiquing the manifestations of financialization towards scholarship that pinpoints the driving forces, mechanisms and boundaries of financialization. Written for researchers and students not only in economics but from across the social sciences and the humanities, this book offers a decidedly global and pluri-disciplinary view on financialization for those who are looking to understand the changing face of finance and its consequences.

A critical resource for families managing significant wealth A Wealth of Advice offers essential guidance and tools to help high-net-worth families successfully manage significant wealth. By compiling the 20 most common questions surrounding protection and growth, this book provides a compendium of knowledge from experts around the globe and across disciplines. Deep insight and thoughtful answers put an end to uncertainty, and help lay to rest the issues you have been wrestling with for years; by divulging central lessons and explaining practical actions you can take today, this book gives you the critical information you need to make more informed decisions about your financial legacy. Vital charts, graphics, questionnaires, worksheets and other tools help you get organised, develop a strategy and take real control of your family's wealth, while case studies show how other families have handled the very dilemmas you may be facing today. Managing significant wealth is a complex affair, and navigating the financial world at that level involves making decisions that can have major ramifications these are not decisions to make lightly. This book equips you to take positive action, be proactive and make the tough decisions to protect and grow your family's wealth. * Ensure your personal and financial success and legacy * Access insight and data from leading experts * Adopt the most useful tools and strategies for wealth management * Learn how other families have successfully navigated common dilemmas When your family's wealth is at stake, knowledge is critical and uncertainty can be dangerous. Drawn from interactions with hundreds ofwealthy individuals and families, A Wealth of Advice provides a definitive resource of practical solutions from the world's best financial minds.

'Fascinating' Stylist magazine 'A powerful reminder that we cannot discuss 'wellness' without also talking about the elephant in the room: money. This book isn't just about getting reconnected with a helpful app or spreadsheet but something much more important than that: it will inspire you to reconnect with yourself.' Emma Gannon Financial Wellness and How to Find It takes finance out of the business pages and into our personal lives. It tells us that the way we think about money has a lot to do with the way we think about ourselves, and the stories we believe about what we deserve. When you feel bad about money, it's hard to feel good about life. We focus on health and wellness as essential for happiness, but so often we choose to bury our heads in the sand when it comes to taking positive action over our finances. Financial wellness doesn't mean being rich, having a portfolio of stocks and shares, or being #debtfree. It's about understanding your emotions around money, knowing who you can turn to for support and being aware of your subconscious beliefs about self-worth. Melanie Eusebe, founder of Money Moves, shares the tools and resources you need to reset your relationship with money, and take charge of your financial happiness, whatever your situation, and regardless of the economy. Financial Wellness and How to Find It is empowering and essential reading for anyone who ever earned a paycheque (and spent it).

The book focuses on smart computing for crowdfunding usage, looking at the crowdfunding landscape, e.g., reward-, donation-, equity-, P2P-based and the crowdfunding ecosystem, e.g., regulator, asker, backer, investor, and operator. The increased complexity of fund raising scenario, driven by the broad economic environment as well as the need for using alternative funding sources, has sparked research in smart computing techniques. Covering a wide range of detailed topics, the authors of this book offer an outstanding overview of the current state of the art; providing deep insights into smart computing methods, tools, and their applications in crowdfunding; exploring the importance of smart analysis, prediction, and decision-making within the fintech industry. This book is intended to be an authoritative and valuable resource for professional practitioners and researchers alike, as well as finance engineering, and computer science students who are interested in crowdfunding and other emerging fintech topics.

Mitigate risk and increase returns with an alternative hedge fund strategy Merger Arbitrage: How to Profit from Event-Driven Arbitrage, Second Edition is the definitive guide to the ins and outs of the burgeoning merger arbitrage hedge fund strategy, with real-world examples that illustrate how mergers work and how to take advantage of them. Author Thomas Kirchner, founder of the Pennsylvania Avenue Event-Driven Fund, discusses the factors that drove him to invest solely in merger arbitrage and other event-driven strategies, and details the methods used to incorporate merger arbitrage into traditional investment strategies. And while there is always a risk that a deal will fall through, the book explains how minimal such risks really are when the potential upside is factored in. Early chapters of the book focus on the basics of the merger arbitrage strategy, including an examination of mergers and the incorporation of risk into the arbitrage decision. Following chapters detail deal structures, financing, and legal aspects to provide the type of in-depth knowledge required to execute an effective investment strategy. The updated second edition stresses new, increasingly relevant information like: * Worldwide legal deal regimes * UK takeover code * UK takeover code global offspring * Regulators around the world The book provides clear, concise guidance on critical considerations including leverage and options, shorting stocks, and legal recourse for inadequate merger consideration, allowing readers to feel confident about trying a new investment strategy. With simple benefits including diversification of risk and return streams, this alternative hedge fund strategy has a place in even the most traditional plan. Merger Arbitrage: How to Profit from Event-Driven Arbitrage, Second Edition provides the information that gives investors an edge in the merger arbitrage arena.

This book presents a systematic approach to the management of physical assets from concept to disposal, building upon the previous editions and brought up-to-date with the new international standards ISO55002 and ISO/TS50010. It introduces the general principles of physical asset management and covers all stages of the asset management process, including initial business appraisal, identification of physical asset needs, capability gap analysis, financial evaluation, logistic support analysis, life cycle costing, strategic asset management planning, maintenance strategy, outsourcing, cost-benefit analysis, disposal and renewal. Features include: providing a textbook for asset management courses to university level; relating closely to the ISO55000 international asset management standard series; providing a basis for the establishment of physical asset management as a professional discipline; and presenting case studies, analytical techniques and numerical examples with solutions. Written for practitioners and students in asset management, this book provides an essential foundation to the topic. It is suitable for an advanced undergraduate or postgraduate course in asset management and also offers an ideal reference text for engineers and managers specializing in asset management, reliability, maintenance, logistics or systems engineering.

Organize and plan for your family business's continued, intergenerational success Continuity Model Generation: Integrating Wealth, Strategy, Talent, and Governance Plans delivers a cohesive and comprehensive plan for family business leaders who seek to improve the chances of sustaining success across generations. Incorporating four distinct--but closely related--plans, Continuity Model Generation shows family businesses how to manage their strategy, their wealth, their talent, and their governance to achieve multi-generational success. The book also offers: A coherent framework (Continuity Canvas) for the integration of its multiple plans affecting every critical aspect of the family-owned or controlled business Straightforward and practical frameworks, meta-frameworks, and cornerstones to ground your family business's strategy A variety of templates, checklists, and forms to organize your thinking and strategy Ideal for business-owning families, as well as their stakeholders and those who advise them, Continuity Model Generation: Integrating Wealth, Strategy, Talent, and Governance Plans is required reading for anyone interested in maintaining and developing family-based wealth.

This book constitutes the thoroughly revised post-conference proceedings of the Second International Conference on Financial Cryptography, FC '98, held in Anguilla, British West Indies, in February 1998.
The 28 revised papers presented were carefully selected and improved beyond the versions presented at the meeting. The book presents the state of the art in research and development in financial cryptography and addresses all current topics such as electronic payment systems, digital cash, electronic commerce, digital signatures, payment transactions, revocation and validation, WWW commerce, trust management systems, and watermarking.

An accessible treatment of Monte Carlo methods, techniques, and applications in the field of finance and economics Providing readers with an in-depth and comprehensive guide, the Handbook in Monte Carlo Simulation: Applications in Financial Engineering, Risk Management, and Economics presents a timely account of the applicationsof Monte Carlo methods in financial engineering and economics. Written by an international leading expert in thefield, the handbook illustrates the challenges confronting present-day financial practitioners and provides various applicationsof Monte Carlo techniques to answer these issues. The book is organized into five parts: introduction andmotivation; input analysis, modeling, and estimation; random variate and sample path generation; output analysisand variance reduction; and applications ranging from option pricing and risk management to optimization. The Handbook in Monte Carlo Simulation features: * An introductory section for basic material on stochastic modeling and estimation aimed at readers who may need a summary or review of the essentials * Carefully crafted examples in order to spot potential pitfalls and drawbacks of each approach * An accessible treatment of advanced topics such as low-discrepancy sequences, stochastic optimization, dynamic programming, risk measures, and Markov chain Monte Carlo methods * Numerous pieces of R code used to illustrate fundamental ideas in concrete terms and encourage experimentation The Handbook in Monte Carlo Simulation: Applications in Financial Engineering, Risk Management, and Economics is a complete reference for practitioners in the fields of finance, business, applied statistics, econometrics, and engineering, as well as a supplement for MBA and graduate-level courses on Monte Carlo methods and simulation.

This book constitutes the strictly refereed post-proceedings of the First International Conference on Financial Cryptography, FC '97, held in Anguilla, BWI, in February 1997.
The 31 revised contributions presented were carefully reviewed and revised for inclusion in the book. The book provides a unique synopsis on financial cryptography, taking into account the views and ideas of cryptographers, security experts, computer hackers, lawyers, bankers, journalists and administrative professionals. The papers cover the whole spectrum of the security of financial transactions or digital commerce in general, ranging from pure cryptosystems to the technology of electronic money to legal and regulatory policy issues.

By virtue of several theoretical models and hypotheses, this book is one of the earliest studies which systematically investigates the structure and changes of China's financial institutions. To begin with, it examines the relation between state utility function and China's economic growth, and reveals the formation and transition of China's state-owned financial institutional arrangements. Based on this analysis, the author studies the influence of monetization on the arrangements, and the financial support to China's gradual reform which have long been neglected by researchers. Also, the model of money demand that can explain the specific conditions of the gradual reform is built, as the neoclassical framework has been incapable of explaining China's financial performance. In the last chapter, it discusses the dilemma of property rights under the state-owned financial system, with the establishment of the credit equilibrium model and the dual model of bad debts. With insightful theoretical analysis and empirical researches, this book will appeal to scholars and students in finance, economics and economic history.

"This superb work belongs in the libraries of all universities. Essential."--"Choice" ""The Power of Money" is a brilliant and highly original piece of scholarship on a group of inscriptions about which much has been written and whose interpretation is crucial for our understanding of the way in which Athens ruled her empire."--Martin Ostwald, Swarthmore College "Thomas Figueira's work on Athenian monetary policy is not only solid, thorough, and meticulously reasoned but also new and original in its conception. It will be a basic text for all concerned with the Athenian empire and its economy well into the new century."--Mabel L. Lang, Bryn Mawr College ""The Power of Money" is potentially the most significant work on the Athenian Empire written in many years. . . . Quite simply, the current understanding of Athens' economic relations with her allies will have to be totally reconsidered as a result of Figueira's work."--Stanley Burstein, California State University, Los Angeles ""The Power of Money" is a major contribution to the scholarship of classical Greece. . . . It will be cited and used with approval in all serious future acounts of fifth-century political history. It will also occupy an important place in the scholarship on ancient coinage and economics. It is masterful scholarship all around, on both the technical and conceptual levels."--John H. Kroll, The University of Texas "A work of immense learning."--Harold B. Mattingly, "American Journal of Archaeology" Was Athens an imperialistic state, deserving all the reputation for exploitation that adjective can imply, or was the Athenian alliance, even at its most unequal, still characterized by a convergence of interests? "The Power of Money" explores monetary and metrological policy at Athens as a way of discerning the character of Athenian hegemony in midfifth-century Greece. It begins with the Athenian Coinage Decree, which, after decades of scholarly attention, still presents unresolved questions for Greek historians about content, intent, date, and effect. Was the Decree an act of commercial imperialism or simply the codification of what was already current practice? Figueira interprets the Decree as one in a series concerned with financial matters affecting the Athenian city-state and emerging from the way the collection of tribute functioned in the alliance that we call the Athenian empire. He contends that the Decree served primarily to legislate the status quo ante. Thomas Figueira is Professor of Classics and of Ancient History at Rutgers University, New Brunswick.

Traditional economic theory studies idealized markets in which prices alone can guide efficient allocation, with no need for central organization. Such models build from Adam Smith's famous concept of an invisible hand, which guides markets and renders regulation or interference largely unnecessary. Yet for many markets, prices alone are not enough to guide feasible and efficient outcomes, and regulation alone is not enough, either. Consider air traffic control at major airports. While prices could encourage airlines to take off and land at less congested times, prices alone do just part of the job; an air traffic control system is still indispensable to avoid disastrous consequences. With just an air traffic controller, however, limited resources can be wasted or poorly used. What's needed in this and many other real-world cases is an auction system that can effectively reveal prices while still maintaining enough direct control to ensure that complex constraints are satisfied. In Discovering Prices, Paul Milgrom-the world's most frequently cited academic expert on auction design-describes how auctions can be used to discover prices and guide efficient resource allocations, even when resources are diverse, constraints are critical, and market-clearing prices may not even exist. Economists have long understood that externalities and market power both necessitate market organization. In this book, Milgrom introduces complex constraints as another reason for market design. Both lively and technical, Milgrom roots his new theories in real-world examples (including the ambitious U.S. incentive auction of radio frequencies, whose design he led) and provides economists with crucial new tools for dealing with the world's growing complex resource-allocation problems.

The research described in this book contributes to the scientific field of optimal control theory applied to dynamic models of the firm. In 1963, Jorgenson first wrote about the use of optimal control theory in order to analyze the dynamic investment behaviour of a hypothetical firm. A decade later, reports appeared of work on more realistic models of the firm carried out by, amongst others, Lesourne [1973) and Bensoussan et al. [1974). In The Netherlands, P. A. Verheyen, Professor of Management Science at Tilburg University, further instigated studies in this field which led to several publications, for example: Van Loon [1983], Van Schijndel [1988), Kort [1989]' Van Hilten [1991) and Van Hilten et al. [1993). Their investigations are char- acterized by an analytical approach to optimization problems (The Maximum Principle of Pontryagin combined with the path coupling procedure of Van Loon). Inherent to this approach, a good economic interpretation of solutions is obtained; however, analytical solving becomes practically unfeasible when simulation models become more complex, e. g. by stronger non-linearity, explic- itly time-dependent functions and larger numbers of state variables, control variables and subsidiary conditions. For example, the path coupling procedure is complicated for optimization problems where discontinuities in the costate variables occur. At Eindhoven University of Technology, P. M. E. M.

It's not all about the money; the key to true riches

Leo Tolstoy said, "Nobody knows where the human race is going. The highest wisdom, then, is to know where you are going." Yet many today chase the false rabbits of success: status, luxury, reputation and material possessions. In the quest to "have it all," our lives often lack real meaning and purpose. "Beyond Wealth" is the antidote.

"New York Times" bestselling author Alexander Green takes things right down to brass tacks: We are here for a short time. Knowledge is limitless. Therefore, the most critical knowledge is not any particular skill but rather wisdom about "how to live." Fortunately, men and women have had several thousand years to think about what it means to live "the good life." And the answers found here, from Plato and Aristotle to Mahatma Gandhi and Stephen Hawking, will both surprise and delight you.

"Beyond Wealth" provides insightful commentary on the most important aspects of our lives: love, work, honor, trust, freedom, death, fear, truth, beauty and other timeless issues. The book is both a thought provoking read and the ideal gift, guaranteed to ennoble, uplift and inspire.

This volume presents the proceedings of the First International Conference on Applications of Databases, ADB-94, held at Vadstena, Sweden in June 1994. ADB-94 provided a unique platform for the discussion of innovative applications of databases among database researchers, developers and application designers. The 28 refereed papers were carefully selected from more than 100 submissions. They report on DB applications, for example in air traffic, modelling, maps, environment, finance, engineering, electronic publishing, and digital libraries, and they are devoted to advanced database services, as for example image text and multimedia modelling, fuzzy set based querying, knowledge management, heterogeneous multidatabase management, and intelligent networks.

Demystifies regression-based valuation through simple explanations, easy-to-understand charts, and time-saving bonus resources Current methodologies using median, quartiles, or standard deviations to calculate revenue multipliers and cash flow multipliers often produce values that are wildly divergent. This forces the appraiser to choose between a very high or a very low value or consider averaging the values, opening the possibility for the appraiser to be challenged. On the surface, regression analysis appears to be the more complex, mathematical model, so many professionals shy away from using it out of fear that readers will be confused and reject the results of the appraisal. Valuing Businesses Using Regression Analysis solves this issue by breaking down regression to its simplest terms and providing easy-to-read charts and explanations that can be understood by all. Since regression analysis does not come pre-installed in Excel, this book will show you how to enable Excel's regression in your computer. Then you'll learn four different Regression tools that can be used for business valuations or for forecasting in general. As an added perk, this book also comes with a template that simplifies the entire regression methodology into the click of one button. With a minimal amount of work, you can use this template to produce a compelling four-page valuation report. See why current valuation methodologies can be wildly inaccurate and why regression analysis is a practical and preferable alternative Learn how to set up Regression in Excel and use single-variable linear regression to predict revenue and cash flow multipliers Walk through the process for conducting more advanced analyses, including curved regression with outliers and multiple variable regression Use the bonus template to create attractive four-page valuation reports using regression analysis in Excel This book is an excellent choice for valuators and other financial professionals ready to take the leap into regression analysis for more accurate, more objective business valuations.

This volume provides a topical and up-to-date introduction to the principal Western financial markets and institutions, particularly those in the USA, Europe and Japan. The scope is comprehensive and topics covered include: commercial and investment banking, money and insurance, options, futures and other derivative products. A glossary of financial terms is also provided, and a final chapter surveys the key trends and issues in the market today.;A second edition is available: "An Introduction to Global Financial Markets" (hardback: 0-333-69584-4; paperback: 0-333-69394-9).

The recent introduction of two European index options on the FTSE Eurotrack 100 and the Eurotop 100 is evidence of a demand from investors to hedge pan-European risk. The FTSE Eurotrack 100 was designed to closely resemble the longer established and widely quoted Morgan Stanley European index. The Eurotrack 100 covers a hundred companies in eleven countries in continental Europe. The index is denominated in DM and' a breakdown by value into the different countries covered is given in figure 1. Capitalisation weights for Figure 1 FT-SE Eurotrack 100 Index Norway mark Germany Italy Switzerland France Netherlands Another recently introduced European index is the Eurotop 100 index denominated in EeUs, this index contains twenty two UK companies which represent 27% by value of this index. The attraction of investments in these indices is that they provide a basis for weighted exposure to Europe, investors can then build on this 240 basis by investment in individual countries. The multinational context of the universe of shares defined by this index raises some new questions for the selection of portfolios, whether the portfolios are chosen for absolute performance or to track the index. Various possible objectives of portfolio selection will be discussed, in all cases the crucial role of the covariance matrix of returns is clear. The extra source of risk present in a multinational portfolio is the combination of country risk coupled with foreign exchange risk. Two models of the return covariance matrix are proposed and examined.

Prudent, verifiable, and timely corporate accounting is a bedrock of our modern capitalist system. In recent years, however, the rules that govern corporate accounting have been subtly changed in ways that compromise these core principles, to the detriment of the economy at large. These changes have been driven by the private agendas of certain corporate special interests, aided selectively and sometimes unwittingly by arguments from business academia With Political Standards, Karthik Ramanna develops the notion of "thin political markets" to describe a key problem facing technical rule-making in corporate accounting and beyond. When standard-setting boards attempt to regulate the accounting practices of corporations, they must draw on a small pool of qualified experts but those experts almost always have strong commercial interests in the outcome. Meanwhile, standard setting rarely enjoys much attention from the general public. This absence of accountability, Ramanna argues, allows corporate managers to game the system. In the profit-maximization framework of modern capitalism, the only practicable solution is to reframe managerial norms when participating in thin political markets. Political Standards will be an essential resource for understanding how the rules of the game are set, whom they inevitably favor, and how the process can be changed for a better capitalism.