Building Quantitative Finance Foundations from High School Mathematics

Summary

The document considers how a beginner with high-school mathematics can prepare to study quantitative finance, including stochastic calculus and Ito’s lemma. The response recommends building core mathematical foundations first, particularly calculus, series, and linear algebra, before attempting advanced quantitative finance topics.

It offers a blunt assessment that pursuing a quantitative finance career with only high-school mathematics would be very difficult, but gives no book list, detailed learning sequence, or evidence for that claim. The advice is therefore a brief starting point rather than a comprehensive curriculum. A learner would need additional guidance on statistics, probability, programming, and later topics such as stochastic processes and derivatives pricing.

Key ideas

• Calculus, series, and linear algebra are suggested as initial areas of study.
• Advanced quantitative finance topics require stronger mathematics than a high-school background provides.
• The response does not name books or set out a complete learning path.
• Further study in probability and statistics would be needed for quantitative finance.

Tags

# Which book would you recommend for beginners in Quantitative Finance?


# Which book would you recommend for beginners in Quantitative Finance?












I have a normal high school level of mathematics including some statistics and find the world of Quantitative Finance both alien and invigorating at the same time so, would like to learn more.

What book recommendations would people suggest for me to take me from lets say beginner to advanced including stochastic calculus and Ito's lemma etc. Ideally, a maths reminder book to start me off as lets say a number of years have passed since I was at high school :-)

I'm thinking less theoretical, interesting and easy reading if at all possible.

## Answer by Pandaaaaaaa (score 1)

https://quant.stackexchange.com/a/32598

I think it is really hard (nearly impossible) to pursue a career in quantitative finance provided you only have high school level of math knowledge. I am sorry to say so.

College level math major courses would be helpful for you now. Try to learn calculus series and linear algebra would be your initial step.

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