We present a simplified approach to the analytical approximation of the transition density related to a general local volatility model. The methodology is sufficiently flexible to be extended to time-dependent coefficients, multi-dimensional stochastic volatility models, degenerate parabolic...

We propose a novel method for the analytical approximation in local volatility models with Lèvy jumps. In the case of Gaussian jumps, we provide an explicit approximation of the transition density of the underlying process by a heat kernel expansion: the approximation is derived in two ways,...