Cox-Ross short-rate pricing equation ($V_t+(b-\sigma \theta )V_r+\frac{1}{2}{\sigma }^2{V}_{rr}-rV=0$)

For smooth derivative prices depending on a Markov short rate, Itô formula gives physical drift $m=V_t+b{V}_r+{\sigma }^2{V}_{rr}/2$ and exposure $s=\sigma V_r$. The common short-rate market price of risk gives $m-rV=\theta s$, yielding this equation. Under the risk-neutral measure, the rate drift is $b-\sigma \theta$ and the bank-discounted price is a martingale under suitable integrability. A unit zero-coupon bond has terminal value one and price ${\mathbb{E}}^Q[\exp (-{\int }_t^T{r}_{s}ds)\mid r_t=r]$.