Category Archives: Topical

Includes posts on physics, philosophy, sciences, quantitative finance, economics, environment etc.

Rules of Conflicts

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Manoj

The last post in this series on Games that People play, this piece looks at how rules can be so designed as to generate conflicts that ensure stability. Continue reading →

Posted in Corporate Life, Life and Death, Philosophy, Work and Life | Tagged chess, games that people play, life | Comments

Market Risk Management and Analytics

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Manoj

Market Risk Management Analytics is where I started my banking career. It may be a good place for quantitative professionals to start. Here is a summary of what MRM and Analytics do. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Corporate Life, Quantitative Finance | Tagged computing, Corporate Life, money, quantitative finance, wilmott | Comments

Life: East vs. West

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Manoj

Perspectives on life a la East and West! Continue reading →

Posted in Life and Death, Philosophy | Tagged chess, games that people play, life | Comments

Credit Risk Management

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Manoj

Risk management is a critical function of Middle Office. Here is a look at Credit Risk Management. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Corporate Life, Quantitative Finance | Tagged computing, Corporate Life, money, quantitative finance, wilmott | Comments

Game of Life

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Manoj

How to understand life in terms of its underlying rules. Evolutionarly biology first. Continue reading →

Posted in Life and Death, Philosophy | Tagged chess, evolutionary biology, life, theory of evolution | Comments

Art of Corporate War

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Manoj

Exploring the rules and nature of the corporate game that a vast majority of us play on a daily basis. Continue reading →

Posted in Corporate Life, Humor, Philosophy, Work and Life | Tagged chess, games that people play, life | Comments

Middle Office

Posted on April 30, 2013 by Manoj

Moving from the risk taking side (Front Office) to the risk control side (Middle Office), this post gives you a general outline of what this second office does. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Corporate Life, Quantitative Finance | Tagged computing, Corporate Life, money, quantitative finance, wilmott | Comments

Rules of the Game

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Manoj

This is the introductory post on a short series on the rules of the games that people play, and where to look for predictability. Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Physics, Work and Life | Tagged Albert Einstein, chess, life, O V Vijayan, Richard Feynman | Comments

Quantitative Developers

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Manoj

On the vital role of quantitative developers in an investment bank. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Corporate Life, Quantitative Finance | Tagged computing, Corporate Life, money, quantitative finance, wilmott | Comments

Average Beauty

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Manoj

If you consider yourself average, you are probably more attractive than you think you are. Here is why. Continue reading →

Posted in Science, Work and Life | Tagged beauty, Corporate Life, japanese faces, research | Comments

Trading Desks

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Manoj

The profit centers of an investment bank, trading desks command enormous prestige. And bonuses, which can easy range up to a few times their annual salary. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Corporate Life, Quantitative Finance | Tagged computing, Corporate Life, money, quantitative finance, wilmott | Comments

Sales and Structuring

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Manoj

Sales – another crucial team in the Front Office of any bank. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Corporate Life, Quantitative Finance | Tagged computing, Corporate Life, money, quantitative finance, wilmott | Comments

Do You Believe in God?

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Manoj

Don’t answer that! I can tell you whether you believe in God or not. Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Science, Work and Life | Tagged atheism, cognitive neuroscience, god concept, quiz | Comments

Economists

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Manoj

Economists (with too many hands) find their place in Front Office of investment banks. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Corporate Life, Quantitative Finance | Tagged computing, Corporate Life, money, quantitative finance, wilmott | Comments

Front Office

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Manoj

Front Office, the world and customer facing side of an investment bank, houses both the rainmakers and rogue-traders, along with their support teams. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Corporate Life, Quantitative Finance | Tagged computing, Corporate Life, money, quantitative finance, wilmott | Comments

Pride and Prejudice

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Manoj

The speeches that Swami Vivekananda gave about 120 years ago in Chicago, and on the origins of pride. And of shame. Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy | Tagged Hinduism, shakti oil, sri sri, Swami Vivekananda | Comments

Structure of a Bank

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Manoj

A short introduction to the static structure of an investment bank. We will have much more to say about it later on. Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Corporate Life, Quantitative Finance | Tagged computing, Corporate Life, money, quantitative finance, wilmott | Comments

Trading Platform

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Manoj

What is a trading platform? Why does everybody want it? And how do we get one? Third post in this series on quantitative development. Continue reading →