ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Life insurance and pension funds offer a wide range of products that are invested in a mix ofassets. These portfolios (II), underlying the products, are rebalanced back to predetermined fixedproportions on a regular basis. This is done by selling the better performing assets...

Thesis (MSc (Mathematical Sciences))--Stellenbosch University, 2011

Thesis (MSc (Mathematical Sciences))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.

We look at fitting regression models using data from stratified cluster samples when the strata may depend in some way on the observed responses within clusters. One important subclass of examples is that of family studies in genetic epidemiology, where the probability of selecting a family into...

Statistical tests based on the scan statistic are introduced for detecting possible increases in the occurrence of hospital events. The tests use a moving window and the theoretical aspects of the tests are investigated using Markov chain theory. The main objective of this study is to provide a...

Many statistical forecast systems are available to interested users. To be useful for decision making, these systems must be based on evidence of underlying mechanisms. Once causal connections between the mechanism and its statistical manifestation have been firmly established, the forecasts...

Nonparametric methods for the estimation of the Levy density of a Levy process X are developed. Estimators that can be writtenin terms of the "jumps" of X are introduced, and so are discrete-data based approximations. A model selection approach made up oftwo steps is investigated. The first step...

Model selection methods and nonparametric estimation of Levy densities are presented. The estimation relies on the properties of Levy processes for small time spans, on the nature of the jumps of the process, and on methods of estimation for spatial Poisson processes. Given a linear space S of...

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis, we propose to use Levy processes to model the dynamics of asset prices. Inthe first part, we deal with single asset options and model the log stock prices with a Levyprocess. We employ pure jump Levy processes of infinite activity, in particular variancegamma...

Recent nancial crises have highlighted the sensitivity and vulnerability of nancial marketsto ination, which reduces the value of money and a ects the net returns of nancial instruments.In response to this, investors who are concerned with maintaining their investment'spurchasing power rather...