Speed reading online content - RSVP - Rapid serial visual presentation( Via Wiki) The unique method used by RSVP allows for the reading of unlimited text in a limited position. Researchers from Carnegie Mellon have found that as many as 12 words per second are readable in controlled situations (720wpm).Further research has shown that for shorter pieces of text, RSVP formats increased reading speed by 33% with no significant differences in comprehension or task load.

Steven Shreve’s books on Stochastic calculus (Volume I + Volume II) are amazing in terms of breadth. Basic intuition is built in Volume I using a discrete-time binomial asset pricing model. In Volume II, the author introduces all the concepts needed to build a financial model in continuous-time. In this post, I will try to summarize a few points from Volume II. Chapter 1: Introduction The most important mind shift that one needs to make when moving from the discrete-time case to continuous-time case is that of “uncountable outcome space”.

“Big Data” has entered every one’s vocabulary, thanks to the wild success of few companies that have used data to provide valuable information and services. This book gives a bird’s eye view of the emerging field. The book starts off with an interesting example of the way Google predicted the spread of flu in real time after analyzing two datasets, first one containing 50 million most common terms that Americans type and second one containing the data on the spread of seasonal flu from public health agency.

The author of this book, Anatoly B. Schmidt, has written a book on Market Microstructure and an introductory book on Quant Fin for Physicists Schmidt is a Physics PhD from Russia who moves to NY and joins the quant-bandwagon on Wall Street. From a person like that one might expect that his autobiography would contain war stories about building-tweaking-testing-implementing models. Unfortunately this book mentions none whatsoever. Instead the author writes about his affairs with various women and his failed marriage.

The book begins with a brief note that highlights the difference between “expectation pricing” and “arbitrage pricing”. It gives an example of a bookmaker, someone who takes bets on horses. The bookmaker can always stay in the business by setting up odds based on the money at stake, rather than based on actual probabilities. If the book maker does a statistical analysis of horse performances,track conditions, historical data, etc.. and then sets the odds, there is always a possibility of a huge loss and getting wiped out.