Finance

  • Yakov Ben-Haim, 2006, Info-gap Decision Theory: Decisions Under Severe Uncertainty, 2nd edition, Academic Press, London.
    Chapter 3: Robustness and Opportuneness.
    … Section 3.2.7: Portfolio investment.
    Chapter 11: Robust-Satisficing Behavior.
    … Section 11.3: Info-gap analysis of expected-utility risk aversion.
    … Section 11.5: The equity premium puzzle: A solution.
     
  • Yakov Ben-Haim, 2010, Info-Gap Economics: An Operational Introduction, Palgrave. Description and endorsements.
    Chapter 4: Financial Stability
    4.1 Structured Securities: Simple Example
    4.2 Value at Risk in Financial Economics
    4.3 Stress Testing: Suite of Models
    4.4 Strategic Asset Allocation
     
  • Michelle Maceas Henao; Jairo Espinosa Oviedo; Idi Isaac Milan, 2021, Bidding strategy for VPP incorporating price market and solar generation uncertainties using information gap decision theory, 29 June-1 July 2021, 9th International Conference on Smart Grid (icSmartGrid), DOI: 10.1109/icSmartGrid52357.2021.9551261. Abstract.
     
  • Bryan Beresford-Smith and Colin J. Thompson, 2009, An info-gap approach to managing portfolios of assets with uncertain returns, Journal of Risk Finance, vol. 10, #3, pp.277-287.
    Abstract

    Abstract

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a quantitative methodology based on information-gap decision theory for dealing with (true) Knightian uncertainty in the management of portfolios of assets with uncertain returns.

    Design/methodology/approach: Portfolio managers aim to maximize returns for given levels of risk. Since future returns on assets are uncertain the expected return on a portfolio of assets can be subject to significant uncertainty. Information-gap decision theory is used to construct portfolios that are robust against uncertainty.

    Findings: Using the added dimensions of aspirational parameters and performance requirements in information-gap theory, the paper shows that one cannot simultaneously have two robust-optimal portfolios that outperform a specified return and a benchmark portfolio unless one of the portfolios has arbitrarily large long and short positions.

    Research limitations/implications: The paper has considered only one uncertainty model and two performance requirements in an information-gap analysis over a particular time frame. Alternative uncertainty models could be introduced and benchmarking against proxy portfolios and competitors are examples of additional performance requirements that could be incorporated in an information-gap analysis.

    Practical implications: An additional methodology for applying information-gap modeling to portfolio management has been provided.

    Originality/value: This paper provides a new and novel approach for managing portfolios in the face of uncertainties in future asset returns.

    Keywords

    Financial modelling, Information management, Portfolio investment, Uncertainty management

  • Bryan Beresford-Smith and Colin J. Thompson, 2007, Managing credit risk with info-gap uncertainty, Journal of Risk Finance, vol. 8, #1, pp.24-34.
    Abstract

    Abstract

    Purpose: The paper aims to provide a quantitative methodology for dealing with (true) Knightian uncertainty in the management of credit risk based on information-gap decision theory.

    Design/methodology/approach: Credit risk management assigns clients to credit risk categories with estimated probabilities of default for each category. Since probabilities of default are subject to uncertainty the estimated expected loss given default on a loan-book can be subject to significant uncertainty. Information-gap decision theory is applied to construct optimal loan-book portfolios that are robust against uncertainty.

    Findings: By choosing optimal interest-rate ratios among the credit risk categories one can simultaneously satisfy regulatory requirements on expected losses and an institution’s aspirations on expected profits.

    Research limitations/implications: In the analysis presented here only defaults over specific time frames have been considered. However, performance requirements expressed in terms of defaults and profits over multiple time frames that allow for transitions of clients between credit risk categories over time could also be incorporated into an information-gap analysis.

    Practical implications: An additional management analysis tool for applying information-gap modeling to credit risk has been provided.

    Originality/value: This paper provides a new methodology for analyzing credit risk based on information-gap decision theory.

    Keywords

    Credit control, Credit management, Financial modelling, Financial risk, Information modelling

  • Yiping Li, Jianwen Chen, and Ling Feng, Dealing with uncertainty: A survey of theories and practices, IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering, vol.25, issue 11, November 2013, pages 2463-2482.
    Abstract

    Abstract

    Uncertainty accompanies our life processes and covers almost all fields of scientific studies. Two general categories of uncertainty, namely, aleatory uncertainty and epistemic uncertainty, exist in the world. While aleatory uncertainty refers to the inherent randomness in nature, derived from natural variability of the physical world (e.g., random show of a flipped coin), epistemic uncertainty origins from human’s lack of knowledge of the physical world, as well as ability of measuring and modeling the physical world (e.g., computation of the distance between two cities). Different kinds of uncertainty call for different handling methods. Aggarwal, Yu, Sarma, and Zhang et al. have made good surveys on uncertain database management based on the probability theory. This paper reviews multidisciplinary uncertainty processing activities in diverse fields. Beyond the dominant probability theory and fuzzy theory, we also review information-gap theory and recently derived uncertainty theory. Practices of these uncertainty handling theories in the domains of economics, engineering, ecology, and information sciences are also described. It is our hope that this study could provide insights to the database community on how uncertainty is managed in other disciplines, and further challenge and inspire database researchers to develop more advanced data management techniques and tools to cope with a variety of uncertainty issues in the real world.

    Keywords

    Uncertainty management, probability theory, Dempster-Shafer theory, fuzzy theory, info-gap theory, probabilistic database, fuzzy database

  • D. Berleant, L. Andrieu, J.-P. Argaud, F. Barjon, M.-P. Cheong, M. Dancre, G. Sheble and C.-C. Teoh, 2008, Portfolio management under epistemic uncertainty using stochastic dominance and information-gap theory,International Journal of Approximate Reasoning, vol.49, issue #1, pp.101–116.
  • Lior Davidovitch and Yakov Ben-Haim, 2011, Robust resource allocation: An info-gap approach, ICVRAM 2011: 1st International Conference on Vulnerability and Risk Assessment and Management, April 11-13, 2011, University of Maryland, College Park, pp.988-995.
  • Colin J. Thompson, Anthony J. Guttmann and Ben J.P. Thompson, 2008, Trading indicators with information-gap uncertainty, The Journal of Risk Finance, to appear.
  • Beresford-Smith, Bryan and Colin J. Thompson, 2007, Managing credit risk with info-gap uncertainty, The Journal of Risk Finance, vol.8, issue 1, pp.24-34.
  • Yakov Ben-Haim, 2005, Value at risk with info-gap uncertainty, Journal of Risk Finance, vol. 6, #5, pp.388-403. Pre-print.
  • Yakov Ben-Haim and Karsten Jeske, 2003, Home-bias in financial markets: Robust satisficing with info-gaps, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Working Paper Series, 2003-35, Dec. 2003, pdf file on the Federal Reserve Bank website. SSRN abstract and full paper at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=487585.
  • Yakov Ben-Haim, The equity premium: A solution, working paper. pdf file