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Black-Scholes call via risk-neutral expectation

Question

Derive the Black-Scholes price of a European call by computing a discounted expectation under the risk-neutral measure.

Short answer

C=S0N(d1)−Ke−rTN(d2)C=S_0N(d_1)-Ke^{-rT}N(d_2). Under the risk-neutral measure ST=S0e(r−σ2/2)T+σTZS_T=S_0e^{(r-\sigma^2/2)T+\sigma\sqrt TZ}, so C=e−rTE[(ST−K)1ST>K]C=e^{-rT}\mathbb E[(S_T-K)\mathbf 1_{S_T>K}]. The strike term is Ke−rTP(ST>K)=Ke−rTN(d2)Ke^{-rT}\mathbb P(S_T>K)=Ke^{-rT}N(d_2); for the stock term, completing the square in the Gaussian integral (a shift of ZZ by σT\sigma\sqrt T) gives S0N(d1)S_0N(d_1).

Adapted from Zhou, A Practical Guide to Quantitative Finance Interviews, sec. 6.1 Option Pricing, 'Black-Scholes formula B', p.143; question and answer rewritten by SelfMadeQuant.com.

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