vol. 02·section C // tier 03 of 03·saturday, aug 8, 2026·10 chapters

tier 03advanced

advanced course

A year-plus of disciplined trading and comfort with code. Quant methods, vol trading, portfolio construction, algos, ML, and the operational discipline of running a book.

prereq
Comfort with intermediate material. Python or another scripting language.
outcome
Think in distributions and portfolios of strategies. Build infrastructure that runs without you.
pace
Ongoing reference + research
chapters
10
  1. №01Quantitative FoundationsThe math you actually need. Not for academic purity — for making better trading decisions under uncertainty.
  2. №02Statistical ArbitrageStat arb = trading mathematical relationships between instruments, not directional bets on the market. Market-neutral, mean-reversion based, edge from many small wins.
  3. №03Volatility TradingTrading volatility itself as the asset, separate from price direction. Vol has its own behavior: mean-reverting, regime-shifting, and predictable in ways price isn't.
  4. №04Advanced Options StrategiesYou've seen calls, puts, basic spreads. This chapter is about multi-leg structures — used to express specific views on direction + volatility + time, with defined risk.
  5. №05Market Regimes"The market regime is the operating environment for your strategies. Use the wrong tool in the wrong regime, and even great execution loses money."
  6. №06Portfolio ConstructionA trader thinks in trades. A portfolio manager thinks in allocations across strategies and assets. This chapter is about getting from "I have 5 ideas" to "I have a coherent, ris…
  7. №07Execution AlgorithmsOnce your size grows past a certain threshold, how you enter and exit matters as much as what you trade. A good signal poorly executed loses money. This chapter is about minimiz…
  8. №08Algorithmic Trading SystemsWhen discretionary trading hits its scaling limit, you build a system. This chapter is about the engineering of trading software — architecture, reliability, monitoring, and the…
  9. №09Machine Learning in TradingA measured, honest take. ML is not magic for trading. It is a tool that, used wrong, will overfit you into bankruptcy faster than any indicator combination. Used right, it adds …
  10. №10Running a Trading BusinessThe leap from "trader" to "trading business" is operational, legal, and psychological. This chapter covers the unsexy stuff that determines whether you survive year 5 — capital …