Linguistique de l’écrit

Revue internationale en libre accès

Revue | Volume | Article

216641

Fundamentals of algorithmic markets

liquidity, contingency, and the incomputability of exchange

Laura Lotti

pp. 43-58

Résumé

In light of the structural role of computational technology in the expansion of modern global finance, this essay investigates the ontology of contemporary markets starting from a reformulation of liquidity—one of the tenets of financial trading. Focusing on the nexus between financial and algorithmic flows, the paper complements contemporary philosophies of the market with insights into recent theories of computation, emphasizing the functional role of contingency, both for market trading and algorithmic processes. Considering the increasing adoption of advanced computational methods in automated trading strategies, this article argues that the event of price is the direct manifestation of the incomputability at the heart of market exchange. In doing so, it questions the ontological assumptions of "flow" and "fluidity" underpinning traditional conceptions of liquidity and challenges the notion of rationality in market behavior. Ultimately, the paper gestures toward some of the social and political consequences of this reformulation.

Détails de la publication

Publié dans:

Coeckelbergh Mark, DuPont Quinn, Reijers Wessel (2018) Financial technologies. Philosophy & Technology 31 (1).

Pages: 43-58

DOI: 10.1007/s13347-016-0249-8

Citation complète:

Lotti Laura, 2018, Fundamentals of algorithmic markets: liquidity, contingency, and the incomputability of exchange. Philosophy & Technology 31 (1), Financial technologies, 43-58. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13347-016-0249-8.