SPA Conference session: Functional finance | |||
| One-line description: | Using a functional language to implement structured finance as presented by rank amateurs | ||
| Session format: | Workshop (150 mins) [read about the different session types] | ||
| Abstract: | To rediscover working with functional languages using structured finance as the domain. Following (Big) Dave Thomas' rant about working at higher levels of abstraction last year, we thought it would be good to consider the small but growing use of functional languages for financial calculations. If nothing else we should remind ourselves of some of the useful programming concepts that are slowly making their way into mainstream programming environments. The session will interleave introducing features of our working language OCaml with examples from the domain of structured finance, preparing the participants to work through their own implementation in exercises. We will also stop for discussion about how these implementations compare to their equivalents in more "conventional" languages. We particularly want to highlight the experience of working with a more sophisticated type system and how it affects building an embedded domain language. | ||
| Audience background: | For experienced programmers with at least some exposure to functional language concepts and financial markets | ||
| Benefits of participating: | Experience (or re-experience) a different approach to programming. Compare it to your usual coding experience. Reawaken concepts you haven't used since college. | ||
| Materials provided: | Slides and working exercises based on OCaml. Also, installations of OCaml for some version of Windows and OS/X. Linux users can figure it out for themselves. | ||
| Process: | Introduce concepts from OCaml Introduce an example that works well with these concepts for the participants to work through. Repeat Periodically stop to have the participants compare this experience to conventional OO languages. | ||
| Detailed timetable: | Don't know yet. Probably a very short example to start with to get people started, then 30 minute presentation/exercise cycles. | ||
| Outputs: | Posters from the discussion sessions. | ||
| History: | New | ||
| Presenters | |||
| 1. Steve Freeman M3P Ltd |
2. Meirion Morgan | 3. Michael Feathers Object Mentor |
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