Book Image

Machine Learning for Finance

By : Jannes Klaas
Book Image

Machine Learning for Finance

By: Jannes Klaas

Overview of this book

Machine Learning for Finance explores new advances in machine learning and shows how they can be applied across the financial sector, including insurance, transactions, and lending. This book explains the concepts and algorithms behind the main machine learning techniques and provides example Python code for implementing the models yourself. The book is based on Jannes Klaas’ experience of running machine learning training courses for financial professionals. Rather than providing ready-made financial algorithms, the book focuses on advanced machine learning concepts and ideas that can be applied in a wide variety of ways. The book systematically explains how machine learning works on structured data, text, images, and time series. You'll cover generative adversarial learning, reinforcement learning, debugging, and launching machine learning products. Later chapters will discuss how to fight bias in machine learning. The book ends with an exploration of Bayesian inference and probabilistic programming.
Table of Contents (15 chapters)
Machine Learning for Finance
Contributors
Preface
Other Books You May Enjoy
Index

Chapter 7. Reinforcement Learning for Financial Markets

Humans don't learn from millions of labeled examples. Instead, we often learn from positive or negative experiences that we associate with our actions. Children that touch a hot stove once will never touch it again. Learning from experiences and the associated rewards or punishments is the core idea behind reinforcement learning (RL). RL allows us to learn sophisticated decision-making rules while having no data at all. Through this approach, several high-profile breakthroughs occurred in AI, such as AlphaGo, which beat the world Go champion in 2016.

In finance, reinforcement learning, also known as RL, is making inroads as well. In its 2017 report, Machine learning in investment management (https://www.ahl.com/machine-learning), Man AHL outlined a reinforcement system for order routing in the FX and futures market. Order routing is a classic problem in quantitative finance. When placing an order, funds can usually choose from different...