Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2016 / iii / Paper 202 / 4 / c / Solution

Use two standard results: for every continuous local martingale $U$, there is a unique continuous adapted increasing quadratic variation $[U]$, starting at zero, such that $U^2-U_0^2-[U]$ is a local martingale; and a continuous finite-variation local martingale is constant.

Define the quadratic covariation by the polarization identityThis is continuous, adapted, starts at zero, and is of finite variation on compact time intervals. Since $(M+N{)}^2-(M-N{)}^2=4MN$, subtraction of the two quadratic-variation identities shows that $MN-M_0{N}_0-[M,N]$ is a continuous local martingale. In the zero-start convention this is exactly $MN-[M,N]\in {\mathcal{M}}_{c,\mathrm{loc}}$.

If $A$ is another continuous adapted finite-variation process with $A_0=0$ and the same local martingale property, then $A-[M,N]$ is both a continuous local martingale and of finite variation. It is constant, and its initial value is zero, so it vanishes. Uniqueness is up to indistinguishability of stochastic processes.

The normalization $[M,N{]}_0=0$ is essential. If arbitrary nonzero initial constants are allowed in the martingale class and this normalization is omitted, adding a constant to the bracket preserves the claimed property. The usual definition of quadratic covariation always includes the zero initial value.