We investigate the use of Antithetic Variables, Control Variates and Importance Sampling to reduce the statistical errors of option sensitivities calculated with the Likelihood Ratio Method in Monte Carlo. We show how Antithetic Variables solve the well-known problem of the divergence of the...

We describe a simple Importance Sampling strategy for Monte Carlo simulations based on a least squares optimization procedure. With several numerical examples, we show that such Least Squares Importance Sampling (LSIS) provides efficiency gains comparable to the state of the art techniques, when...

In this paper we discuss a closed-form approximation of the likelihood functions of an arbitrary diffusion process. The approximation is based on an exponential ansatz of the transition probability for a finite time step $\Delta t$, and a series expansion of the deviation of its logarithm from...

A recently introduced Importance Sampling strategy based on a least squares optimization is applied to the Monte Carlo simulation of Libor Market Models. Such Least Squares Importance Sampling (LSIS) allows the automatic optimization of the sampling distribution within a trial class by means of...

A computational technique borrowed from the physical sciences is introduced to obtain accurate closed-form approximations for the transition probability of arbitrary diffusion processes. Within the path integral framework the same technique allows one to obtain remarkably good approximations of...

We present an accurate and easy-to-compute approximation of zero-coupon bonds and Arrow–Debreu (AD) prices for the Black–Karasinski (BK) model of interest rates or default intensities. Through this procedure, dubbed exponent expansion, AD prices are obtained as a power series in time to...