Trading at the Speed of Light

[troycochrane]

I'm not entirely sure what to make of this:

http://io9.com/#!5784758/the-speed-of-l ... ing-center


The speed of light could turn the middle of the ocean into a stock-trading center
Alasdair Wilkins

When the world's financial giants begin creating vast artificial islands in the middle of the oceans to use as the hubs of stock-trading, it'll all be because of the speed of light.

High-frequency trading is a major - and extremely controversial - part of modern financial practice, in which computerized traders make extremely fast transactions to take advantage of moneymaking opportunities that may only exist for a fraction of a second. Leaving aside the pros and cons of the practice, it is starting to brush up against a roadblock that no amount of financial chicanery can remove, and that's the speed of light.
Since high-frequency trading often depends on the differing prices of a particular financial item in two different markets in distant parts of the world, the practice requires signals to be sent across the world as quickly as possible. When these inequalities can sometimes exist for less than a millisecond, the speed of light is actually a factor in the success of these trades, and certain locations will be able to process the inequalities between two particular markets faster than other locations, simply because their geographic proximity puts the speed of light on their side.

Although there's constant demand for improved fiber-optic cables that can transmit information faster, the trades already travel at about 90% of the speed of light, and an upper limit for further technological innovation is close at hand. According to Harvard's Dr. Alexander Wissner-Gross, the trick going forward will be for companies to make the speed of light work for them.

To that end, he created a map last year that determines the optimal locations to place these high-frequency trading centers for various markets, which basically involves finding the best midway points between various combinations of financial markets. You can see the result in the map up top - the red points are major financial markets, and the blue dots are the various best midway points. He's currently working on figuring out how different firms can best use their existing infrastructure in its existing location by determining which markets can be compared and traded with as quickly as possible, which he believes will give the first firm to adopt this approach a major competitive advantage.

But let's go back to his first idea, because it's seriously intriguing. As it happens, a ton of these midway points are found in the middle of the world's oceans or in remote northern latitudes. These are places where there's no civilization to speak of, and no financial centers either. If the financial incentives are there, it's totally possible that artificial islands could be built in the middle of the Atlantic or in the isolated northern Russian steppes to give the high-frequency trading computers that extra edge.

And, for once, the vagaries of financial markets could actually do people a tangible good, as Dr. Wissner-Gross explains:

"It's instructive to start to think about latency correlations as a new sort of resource. If you're positioned between two major financial hubs, you may be far out of the way, rather far from population centers, maybe economically poor, but because of your unique position, that could be a natural resource."

Via BBC News.

[troycochrane]

It's really just about perfecting markets. Now, we can finally have perfect markets, if we just construct a few stock exchanges and relay points in the middle of the ocean. Information will be universally shared at the speed of light, eliminating all transnational arbitrage.

Here's the paper that this article was based on: http://www.alexwg.org/publications/Phys ... 056104.pdf

This is another take on the paper: http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/is ... light.html. It incorrectly claims that the paper suggests moving exchanges, when it actually hypothesizes additional exchanges. However, it is a more speculative take on the paper than the news report above.

I like the idea of 'econophysical effects,' although they really mean 'financiophysical.'

[Calm]

If we are trading or moving money around the globe at the speed of light, then how can anybody claim to know exactly what is happening?

I don't think there is any rhyme or reason to our economic system. I think it is all bullsh?t.

I think that the Rich Folks use "economic theory" to explain or excuse what is really class warfare.

Believing in the economic theory being practiced today is no different than believing in a God or a religion.

Is there any difference between a preacher having a phd in religion or an economist having a phd in money management?

Both are earned in blind faith.

The “Economic System” itself is a “Myth” propagated by “Magicians” who afforded themselves the costs of a higher education and “Purchased” a PHD or an SH?T after their names. The same way that a Christian Preacher attends a religious institution and leaves with a “Certificate Of Christendom”.

Economic “Myth” is “Preached” and “Enforced” by the military and police complex, and when required (and on command), by our religious leaders as well.

Economists perform the same tasks and for the same reason for which magicians played their essential roles during olden times with Kings and Queens.

It is all a “Confidence Myth”.

The Economist has only one mission in life and that is to further propagate the myth with “Magical” charts and drawings and claiming them to be “Truth”. A successful economist must sell his magic in the same way a Jehovah Witness sells their beliefs.

The 12 Federal Reserve members are no different than the myth of the 12 Apostles at the Last Supper.

A total sham.

I think that the Rich Folks sort of get up every morning and ask themselves how much money must be "shared" or allowed onto the street in order to ensure that the Rich Folks can walk the streets without being mugged.

35% of all property taxes in the City of Toronto is used for policing. (More than 900 million dollars.)

The Rich Folks not only want to earn money, but they also want to enjoy the wealth as well.

They only agree to part with whatever it takes to allow Rich Folks to walk the streets without being harassed.

I believe that the only certain means or way of forcing change within our society and to engage in a more equitable share of the wealth which our country generates to to make damn sure that the Rich Folks are not allowed to enjoy their wealth.

The Rich Folks must be hissed at and be made too afraid to step off their doorsteps or outside of their homes. They should not be allowed to share anything within our communities if they refuse to share their wealth.

I read the other day that the average time a stock share is held by an investor is 22 seconds. The average foreign currency investment lasts 30 seconds.
(Flash Video)
http://www.therealnews.com/t2/index.php ... mival=6000

In order to provide the public with some feeble excuse as to how there are Rich Folks and Poor Folks, an economic theorist steps forward and spews propaganda and fairy tales.

A little bit off on an tangent .....

If the world was stopped tomorrow, it would take at least 2000 years for the economists to wrap up the financial books.

Thousands of years to figure out who owed what to whom and to calculate just how much counterfeit money was in the system and how many worthless bonds and derivatives were floating around.

It is all a confidence game. Nobody really knows or cares what a real financial audit would detail. If anybody would argue the point, the U.S. would simply nuke yuh for challenging or insisting on an audit.

Economic theory is a myth used to disguise what has always been and always will be Class Warfare.

Those with money represent 10% of the population and thus are always losing at the ballot box, so they get their way or bypass the other 80% of the population by printing money and thus causing inflation.
April 08, 2011
(Flash Video)
http://www.cnbc.com/id/42478554

The People are going to rise up and hang all the cconomists on lamp posts.

I recall when Wall Street were defending the bonus structure paid to employees.

The Economic Terrorists threatened to all quit and take their "Skills" and "System Knowlege" elsewhere and thus destroy the complete economy.

What could be more violent than that? It was outright Class Warfare.

In Britain the Economic Terrorists all threatened to leave the country and move to Dubai or Germany.

These Economic Terrorists held the whole world "Hostage" and today people are complaining about students breaking a few windows and it is called "anarchy".

Non-Union Terrorists:

The Chamber of Commerce is a Union.

The Cops got a Union but they call it an "Association".

The Press and Peter Mansbridge and The Clowns were/are members of the strongest and most militant union in Canada.

Every corporation pays dues every month to the Chamber of Commerce, and pay the "Executives" of the "Union" to perform negotiations and lobbying efforts on behalf of the corporations.

Can somebody tell me what the difference is between the Chamber of Commerce and a Labour Union?

Why do Corporations find it "Necessary" to organize as a group and pool their resources and money in order to make gains for it's Chamber of Commerce members?

I would guess it would be for the same reasons that a working stiff has when signing a union card.

If we want to talk the pro's and con's of Unionism ....

The Bankers and Economic Terrorists on Wall Street don't belong to a union.

The "Non-Unionized" Wall Street Terrorists threatened to all quit their jobs and take their skills (and secrets) to China or elsewhere .... they threatened to crash the complete economy .... they all threatened to commit "Economic Treason" unless they were allowed to keep their bonus structure payments in place or in effect and paid as promised.

The press never called the Wall Street Terrorists "Extremists" and "Left Wing Radicals" ..... we were told that they were to be "Admired" for demanding their rights as "Employees".

Only Wall Street and the Chamber of Commerce are allowed to organize as a group or a lobby because they are "Responsible" and "Decisive".

I have lost all faith or all belief in our economic system.

During the past 2 years, the world somehow found 40 trillion or more dollars to bailout or repair the system.

Somebody needs to explain how is it possible that 40 trillion dollars can be "invented" and yet still claim that the economic system is based upon sound economic theory?

Calm

[Calm]

Everything happens at the "Speed Of Light" except for those people who trade stocks on-line.

There is a 20 minute delay for them.

Is it any wonder why seats at the New York Stock Exchange sell for 4 or 5 million dollars.

Those with a seat have a 20 minute advantage.

Calm

[sashat27]

Is it any wonder why seats at the New York Stock Exchange sell for 4 or 5 million dollars.

Those with a seat have a 20 minute advantage.

Calm

If the speed of light works on other people's side when they don't have to be 20 minute delayed, they'd be as rich!

[Calm]

Hi! sashat27

About a year ago, I picked up that "20 minute" tidbit while watching CBC Dragons Den.

Kevin O'Leary bought into a new on-line stock trading outfit because it traded or provided information in real time while all others were 20 minutes behind.

Calm