I’ve noticed a divide in how people approach Quantitative Finance. Some focus on memorizing the Black-Scholes PDE or Greeks from books like Hull, while others advocate for a first-principles derivation.
I am currently self-studying Calculus and Linear Algebra, but as I go through Hull, I find the "encyclopedic" style lacks the logical "why" behind market mechanics.
For the professionals here:
How do you mentally bridge the gap between pure math and financial intuition without relying on rote memory?
If you had to re-learn everything today, what "logical anchor" would you use to understand stochastic processes instead of just solving the equations?
I’m trying to build a foundation that won't crumble when the models change. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the mental models that actually matter in the industry.