Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2016 / iii / Paper 202 / 1 / d / Solution

For the simple predictable process from part (a), define its stochastic integral byThe time-zero value contributes nothing. Write $D_i=M_{t\wedge t_{i+1}}-M_{t\wedge t_i}$. If $i<j$ and $t>t_j$, then $h_i{D}_i{h}_j$ is ${\mathcal{F}}_{t_j}$-measurable and $\mathbb{E}[D_j\mid {\mathcal{F}}_{t_j}]=0$. If $t\le t_j$, then $D_j=0$. Boundedness ensures integrability, so all off-diagonal terms vanish by conditional expectation. ConsequentlyThe quadratic variation theorem says $M^2-[M]$ is a local martingale. A bounded continuous martingale is square-integrable, and localization gives the conditional second-moment identityMultiplication by $h_i^2$ and summation therefore give the Itô isometryFor Brownian motion, $[M{]}_s=s$. More generally the Itô isometry holds for every predictable process with finite right-hand side, against a continuous square-integrable martingale. Indeed, on a fixed horizon the quadratic-variation measure ${\mu }_M(E)=\mathbb{E}{\int }_0^t{1}_{E}d[M]$ is finite. Part (c) approximates the integrand by simple predictable processes; the displayed equality makes the elementary integrals Cauchy in $L^2$ and defines their unique limit. The finite sum is exactly the elementary case of the Itô isometry.