Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for valuating financial contracts and assessing the risk associated with such contracts. Such systems and methods receive valuation details and an internal contract representation related to the contract to value the contract. Internal contract representations describe the contract in terms of flow sets, cash flow functions, and choice functions Choice functions involve determining whether or not the information desirable to make the choice is available when the choice is to be made. If the information is not known for a particular choice function, then the choice function is replaced with a trigger rule. Trigger rules are determinable when the choice has to be made. Trigger rules are based on stochastic processes associated with the choice function.

Abstract: Methods determine a representation of the option Greek delta ? which expresses a dependence of an expected value V of a financial contract on one or more underlyings of the financial contract/ The method comprises obtaining: a complete set of algorithmic differentiation (AD) sensitivities of the expected value of the financial contract to a set of N input parameters {right arrow over (a)} in a form ? ? ? V = [ ? V ? a 1 , ? V ? a 2 , … ? ? ? V ? a N ] T ; and a complete set of AD sensitivities of the expected value of the one or more underlyings Fj for j=1 . . . M, where M<N and M is a number of the one or more underlyings to the set of N input parameters {right arrow over (a)} in a form ? ? ? F j = [ ? F j ? a 1 , ? F j ? a 2 , … ? ? ? F j ? a N ] T for each j=1 . . . M.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for the design and/or production of a probe or primer that is capable of hybridizing to a plurality of sites in a sample comprising nucleic acid. Furthermore, the present invention provides methods for detecting and amplifying nucleic acid using such a probe or primer, for example, for identification of a strain, species or genera. Probe or primer sequences are determined by reference to codon usage bias of a target nucleic acid. In addition, the present invention provides methods for determining codon distribution and/or base pair distance between codons in a nucleic acid.

Abstract: Methods and systems for addressing convexity in automated valuation of financial contracts comprising payment functions are provided. The absence of convexity in a payment function may be detected and, where an absence of convexity is determined, the payment function based on an intrinsic value of the payment function may be valuated. Attempting to detect the absence of convexity may involve modifying the payment function by extracting a numeraire-transform factor and correspondingly changing a numeraire associated with an expectation of the payment function. Valuating the payment function based on an intrinsic value of the payment function may involve multiplying the intrinsic value of the modified payment function by one or more time-zero factors. If a lack of convexity is not detected, the payment function may be valuated based on replication, which may involve modifying the payment function by injecting a numeraire-transform factor.

Abstract: Systems and methods valuate financial contracts and assess associated risk. Particular embodiments comprise: calibrating parameters of models based on market data; determining a metric for the risk of the models to changes in the parameters; determining a metric for the risk of the parameters to changes in the market data; generating a set of valuation functions corresponding to the contract and depending on the calibrated parameters of the models; generating a corresponding set of derivatives of the valuation functions, the derivatives depending on the metric for the risk of the parameters to changes in the market data; determining a value for the contract to comprise an expected value of one of the valuation functions; and assessing a risk of the value of the contract to one or more variables by determining an expected value of one or more of the set of derivatives of the valuation functions.

Abstract: Systems and methods valuate financial contracts and assess associated risk. Particular embodiments comprise: calibrating parameters of models based on market data; determining a metric for the risk of the models to changes in the parameters; determining a metric for the risk of the parameters to changes in the market data; generating a set of valuation functions corresponding to the contract and depending on the calibrated parameters of the models; generating a corresponding set of derivatives of the valuation functions, the derivatives depending on the metric for the risk of the parameters to changes in the market data; determining a value for the contract to comprise an expected value of one of the valuation functions; and assessing a risk of the value of the contract to one or more variables by determining an expected value of one or more of the set of derivatives of the valuation functions.

Abstract: Systems and methods valuate financial contracts and associated risk. Particular embodiments comprise: receiving valuation details; receiving an internal contract representation describing the contract using: flow sets, each flow set comprising cash flow functions representing a cash flow amount at a cash flow time; and choice functions providing a choice between first and second flow sets. The method involves determining, for each choice function, whether information desirable to make the choice is determinable at a choice time, and if the information is not known for a particular choice function, then replacing the particular choice function with a trigger rule determinable at the choice time and specifying the first or second flow set of its associated choice function. Wherein each trigger rule is based on one or more explanatory stochastic processes which form part of the first and second flow set of its associated choice function.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for the design and/or production of a probe or primer that is capable of hybridizing to a plurality of sites in a sample comprising nucleic acid. Furthermore, the present invention provides methods for detecting and amplifying nucleic acid using such a probe or primer, for example, for identification of a strain, species or genera. Probe or primer sequences are determined by reference to codon usage bias of a target nucleic acid. In addition, the present invention provides methods for determining codon distribution and/or base pair distance between codons in a nucleic acid.

Abstract: A set of oligonucleotide probes and method are disclosed for detecting a plurality of different target polynucleotides. The set includes a collection of different promiscuous probes each of which is capable of hybridizing to a target sequence shared between at least two of the target polynucleotides. At least one target polynucleotide comprises at least one target sequence that is shared with one or more other target polynucleotides. A predefined combination of promiscuous probes is capable of hybridizing to target sequences of said at least one target polynucleotide, wherein said predefined combination of probes provides specificity of detection of that target polynucleotide. Also disclosed are processes of identifying a set of target sequences for designing the set of oligonucleotide probes of the invention.