American-style Option Pricing and Improvement of Regression-based Monte Carlo Methods by Machine Learning Techniques

In this dissertation, we discuss how to price American-style options. Our aim is to study and improve the regression-based Monte Carlo methods. In order to have good benchmarks to compare with them, we also study the tree methods. In the second chapter, we investigate the tree methods specifically. We do research firstly within the Black-Scholes model and then within the Heston model. In the Black-Scholes model, based on Müller's work, we illustrate how to price one dimensional and multidimensional American options, American Asian options, American lookback options, American barrier options and so on. In the Heston model, based on Sayer's research, we implement his algorithm to price one dimensional American options. In this way, we have good benchmarks of various American-style options and put them all in the appendix. In the third chapter, we focus on the regression-based Monte Carlo methods theoretically and numerically. Firstly, we introduce two variations, the so called "Tsitsiklis-Roy method" and the "Longstaff-Schwartz method". Secondly, we illustrate the approximation of American option by its Bermudan counterpart. Thirdly we explain the source of low bias and high bias. Fourthly we compare these two methods using in-the-money paths and all paths. Fifthly, we examine the effect using different number and form of basis functions. Finally, we study the Andersen-Broadie method and present the lower and upper bounds. In the fourth chapter, we study two machine learning techniques to improve the regression part of the Monte Carlo methods: Gaussian kernel method and kernel-based support vector machine. In order to choose a proper smooth parameter, we compare fixed bandwidth, global optimum and suboptimum from a finite set. We also point out that scaling the training data to [0,1] can avoid numerical difficulty. When out-of-sample paths of stock prices are simulated, the kernel method is robust and even performs better in several cases than the Tsitsiklis-Roy method and the Longstaff-Schwartz method. The support vector machine can keep on improving the kernel method and needs less representations of old stock prices during prediction of option continuation value for a new stock price. In the fifth chapter, we switch to the hardware (FGPA) implementation of the Longstaff-Schwartz method and propose novel reversion formulas for the stock price and volatility within the Black-Scholes and Heston models. The test for this formula within the Black-Scholes model shows that the storage of data is reduced and also the corresponding energy consumption