大象传媒

Sue Nelson presents the first in a new series of discussions about the science behind the news.

The science behind finance

Over the last few decades the financial industry has attracted many of the brightest young scientists and mathematicians away from academia and into the offices of the investment banks and hedge funds.

Many become "Quants" - or quantitative analysts - whose job it is to build the mathematical models and software that the traders use to guide them through the markets, minimizing risk and getting a fair price.

Sue Nelson and guests Paul Wilmott, Gene Stanley and William Perraudin discuss whether the science behind the trading was up to the job.



First broadcast 21st October 2008