Wendell H. Fleming - Böcker

This book is intended as an introduction to optimal stochastic control for continuous time Markov processes and to the theory of viscosity solutions. The authors approach stochastic control problems by the method of dynamic programming. The text provides an introduction to dynamic programming for deterministic optimal control problems, as well as to the corresponding theory of viscosity solutions. Also covered are controlled Markov diffusions and viscosity solutions of Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equations. The authors have tried, through illustrative examples and selective material, to connect stochastic control theory with other mathematical areas (e.g. large deviations theory) and with applications to engineering, physics, management, and finance.In this Second Edition, new material on applications to mathematical finance has been added. Concise introductions to risk-sensitive control theory, nonlinear H-infinity control and differential games are also included.

The first part of this book presents the essential topics for an introduction to deterministic optimal control theory. The second part introduces stochastic optimal control for Markov diffusion processes. It also inlcudes two other topics important for applications, namely, the solution to the stochastic linear regulator and the separation principle.

Recent revolutions in the world of finance have created a need for the expertise of research mathematicians in solving problems. The articles in this volume are based on recent research in methods in mathematical finance.

This book is an introduction to optimal stochastic control for continuous time Markov processes and the theory of viscosity solutions. It covers dynamic programming for deterministic optimal control problems, as well as to the corresponding theory of viscosity solutions. New chapters in this second edition introduce the role of stochastic optimal control in portfolio optimization and in pricing derivatives in incomplete markets and two-controller, zero-sum differential games.

Recent revolutions in the world of finance have created a need for the expertise of research mathematicians in solving problems. The articles in this volume are based on recent research in methods in mathematical finance.

This book may be regarded as consisting of two parts. In Chapters I-IV we pre­ sent what we regard as essential topics in an introduction to deterministic optimal control theory. This material has been used by the authors for one semester graduate-level courses at Brown University and the University of Kentucky. The simplest problem in calculus of variations is taken as the point of departure, in Chapter I. Chapters II, III, and IV deal with necessary conditions for an opti­ mum, existence and regularity theorems for optimal controls, and the method of dynamic programming. The beginning reader may find it useful first to learn the main results, corollaries, and examples. These tend to be found in the earlier parts of each chapter. We have deliberately postponed some difficult technical proofs to later parts of these chapters. In the second part of the book we give an introduction to stochastic optimal control for Markov diffusion processes. Our treatment follows the dynamic pro­ gramming method, and depends on the intimate relationship between second­ order partial differential equations of parabolic type and stochastic differential equations. This relationship is reviewed in Chapter V, which may be read inde­ pendently of Chapters I-IV. Chapter VI is based to a considerable extent on the authors' work in stochastic control since 1961. It also includes two other topics important for applications, namely, the solution to the stochastic linear regulator and the separation principle.