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Stochastic Calculus / Change of Measure, Girsanov, and Risk-Neutral Pricing

Derivation — Girsanov via the Doléans-Dade Exponential

Girsanov's Theorem states that W~t=Bt−∫0tAs ds\tilde{W}_t = B_t - \int_0^t A_s \, ds is a Q\mathbb{Q}-Brownian motion. This derivation note carries out the proof in two ways:
  1. Direct : compute the conditional moment generating function of W~t−W~s\tilde{W}_t - \tilde{W}_s under Q\mathbb{Q} and show it matches the MGF of N(0,t−s)\mathcal{N}(0, t-s).
  2. Lévy characterisation (Karatzas method): show W~t\tilde{W}_t is a continuous Q\mathbb{Q}-local martingale with [W~,W~]t=t[\tilde{W}, \tilde{W}]_t = t, then apply Lévy's characterisation to conclude it is a Q\mathbb{Q}-BM.

The Lévy method is shorter and generalises more easily to the local martingale form. It also shows exactly which properties of W~t\tilde{W}_t need to be checked — quadratic variation and the local martingale property — making it clear why σ\sigma (the diffusion coefficient) is unchanged.

In this lesson

  1. Setup
  2. Proof 1: Conditional MGF
  3. Proof 2: Lévy Characterisation (Karatzas)
  4. Why the Diffusion is Unchanged
  5. Bayes Formula Under Q\mathbb{Q}

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