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Calculus route to digital option prices

Question

Sketch how calculus yields Black-Scholes prices for an asset-or-nothing digital (pays STS_T if ST>KS_T > K) and a cash-or-nothing digital (pays 11 if ST>KS_T > K).

Short answer

Cash-or-nothing =e−rTN(d2)= e^{-rT}N(d_2); asset-or-nothing =S0N(d1)= S_0 N(d_1). Write each as a risk-neutral expectation integrated over the lognormal density above KK: the cash digital is just the discounted probability Q(ST>K)\mathbb{Q}(S_T > K), and for the asset digital completing the square in the exponent (equivalently, switching to the stock measure) gives S0N(d1)S_0N(d_1). Alternatively, differentiate the call price: −∂C/∂K=e−rTN(d2)-\partial C/\partial K = e^{-rT}N(d_2), and the call is asset digital minus KK cash digitals.

Adapted from Crack, Heard on the Street, Q2.35, p.29; question and answer rewritten by SelfMadeQuant.com.

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