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Linking a vanilla call and a cash digital

Question

Draw the value of a vanilla call and of a digital (cash-or-nothing) call as functions of spot, and describe the relationship between them.

Short answer

The digital is minus the strike derivative of the call. The vanilla is a convex curve rising from zero to roughly S−Ke−rTS-Ke^{-rT}; the digital is an S-shaped curve from 00 up to e−rTe^{-rT}, steepest near the strike. A tight call spread, long 1/ε1/\varepsilon calls at K−εK-\varepsilon and short 1/ε1/\varepsilon at KK, converges to the digital, so D(K)=−∂C/∂KD(K)=-\partial C/\partial K.

Adapted from Joshi, Denson & Downes, Quant Job Interview Questions and Answers, Q2.23, p.18; question and answer rewritten by SelfMadeQuant.com.

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