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Rescaling volatility when four years becomes one unit

Question

A one-year call is priced with 15%15\% annual volatility and T=1T = 1. Now price a four-year call, but measure time in four-year units so that T=1T = 1 again. What volatility should be entered into the formula?

Short answer

30%30\%. Only total variance σ2T\sigma^2 T matters, and variance grows linearly in time. A four-year unit has four times the variance of a one-year unit, so σ\sigma scales by 4=2\sqrt{4} = 2: 0.15×2=0.300.15 \times 2 = 0.30. (The interest rate would be scaled by 44 as well.)

Adapted from Crack, Heard on the Street, Q2.18, p.27; question and answer rewritten by SelfMadeQuant.com.

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