Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2011/ii/paper-3/29j/i/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2011 ii Paper 3 29J i Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-14
A standard Brownian motion starts at zero, has continuous sample paths and independent increments, with for .
Assume and ; changing the sign of just changes the sign of Brownian motion. Itô formula gives . In the complete Black-Scholes model, the risk-neutral pricing theorem prices an integrable payoff by , where the discounted asset is a martingale. Girsanov theorem therefore replaces the logarithmic drift by :Let and . The exercise event is . Completing the square in the Gaussian integral yieldsConsequently and . Thus the European call option price isThe physical drift disappears because the price is obtained under the martingale measure. If in an arbitrage-free deterministic model, and the formula is interpreted by its zero-volatility limit.
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