OIT 672:
Stochastic Control in Operations and Economics
The first half of this course will cover (i) the basic theory of Brownian motion, (ii) Ito stochastic calculus, and (iii) the rudiments of continuous-time stochastic control, all undertaken at a brisk pace, aimed at students who already know the basics or else have a strong enough math background to learn them quickly. The text for this part of the course will be Brownian Models of Performance and Control, by J. Michael Harrison, Cambridge University Press, 2013, which can be ordered from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Brownian-Performance-Control-Michael-Harrison/dp/1107018390/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395420072&sr=8-1&keywords=Brownian+Models+of+Performance+and+ControlnnnThe second half of the course will explore in depth some models arising in operations research, finance and economic theory, such as the McDonald-Siegel investment model (an optimal stopping problem, treated in Chapter 5 of the textbook), Brownian versions of the classic cash balance problem (a family of stochastic control problems, treated in Chapter 7 of the textbook), and Yuliy Sannikovâs continuous-time principal-agent model (Review of Economic Studies, 2008). The course will be rather informally organized, more of a collaboration between students and instructor than a top-down lecture format, with at least half of the class time devoted to presentation of problems by students and auditors.
Terms: Spr
| Units: 3