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Pricing equation for a call on the squared asset

Question

A stock SS follows geometric Brownian motion. What partial differential equation does the price of a call on S2S^2 satisfy?

Short answer

The ordinary Black-Scholes PDE in SS: Vt+12σ2S2VSS+rSVS−rV=0V_t+\tfrac12\sigma^2S^2V_{SS}+rSV_S-rV=0, with V(S,T)=(S2−K)+V(S,T)=(S^2-K)^+. Any tradeable derivative on SS satisfies it, since the hedge is in SS. In the variable Y=S2Y=S^2, which has risk-neutral drift (2r+σ2)Y(2r+\sigma^2)Y and volatility 2σ2\sigma, it reads Vt+2σ2Y2VYY+(2r+σ2)YVY−rV=0V_t+2\sigma^2Y^2V_{YY}+(2r+\sigma^2)YV_Y-rV=0.

Adapted from Joshi, Denson & Downes, Quant Job Interview Questions and Answers, Q3.42, p.84; question and answer rewritten by SelfMadeQuant.com.

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