Module 2 · Financial Arithmetic, Time Value, and Returns Lesson 14 of 120
Discount Factors and Discount Rates
One price today for one unit paid later.
Transcript
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What is the discount factor at time zero?
Code lab
Run it yourself
The lesson source in 7 languages. Edit it, run TypeScript and Python right here, and compare with the expected output.
/**
* Fintech Math Bootcamp · Lesson 014 of 120
* Discount Factors and Discount Rates
* Module 02: Financial Arithmetic, Time Value, and Returns
*
* Scenario: One price today for one unit paid later
* Rule: DF(t) = (1+r)⁻ᵗ
*
* Try it: What is the discount factor at time zero?
*
* Lesson article: https://thefintechbuilder.com/financial-mathematics-statistics-and-data-foundations/financial-arithmetic-time-value-and-returns/discount-factors/
* Free course: https://courses.thefintechbuilder.com
* Synthetic teaching example, not financial advice or a production library.
*/
export function lesson014() {
const rate = 0.10;
const discountFactor = (t: number) => (1 + rate) ** -t;
const factor = discountFactor(2);
const result = {factor, present: 1210 * factor};
return result;
}
export const checkedResult = {"factor":0.8264462809917354,"present":999.9999999999999};
// Run this file directly: npx tsx lessons/02-financial-arithmetic-time-value-and-returns/014-discount-factors-and-discount-rates.ts
if (process.argv[1] && import.meta.url.endsWith(process.argv[1].replace(/\\/g, "/").split("/").pop()!)) {
console.log(JSON.stringify(lesson014(), null, 2));
}
Your output
Press Run to execute the code in your browser.
Expected output
{
"factor": 0.8264462809917354,
"present": 999.9999999999999
}"""
Fintech Math Bootcamp · Lesson 014 of 120
Discount Factors and Discount Rates
Module 02: Financial Arithmetic, Time Value, and Returns
Scenario: One price today for one unit paid later
Rule: DF(t) = (1+r)⁻ᵗ
Try it: What is the discount factor at time zero?
Lesson article: https://thefintechbuilder.com/financial-mathematics-statistics-and-data-foundations/financial-arithmetic-time-value-and-returns/discount-factors/
Free course: https://courses.thefintechbuilder.com
Synthetic teaching example, not financial advice or a production library.
Run it: python main.py
"""
import json
def lesson014() -> dict:
rate = 0.10
def discount_factor(t: float) -> float:
return (1 + rate) ** -t
factor = discount_factor(2)
result = {"factor": factor, "present": 1210 * factor}
return result
if __name__ == "__main__":
print(json.dumps(lesson014(), indent=2))
Your output
Press Run to execute the code in your browser.
Expected output
{
"factor": 0.8264462809917354,
"present": 999.9999999999999
}/**
* Fintech Math Bootcamp · Lesson 014 of 120
* Discount Factors and Discount Rates
* Module 02: Financial Arithmetic, Time Value, and Returns
*
* Scenario: One price today for one unit paid later
* Rule: DF(t) = (1+r)^(-t)
*
* Try it: What is the discount factor at time zero?
*
* Lesson article: https://thefintechbuilder.com/financial-mathematics-statistics-and-data-foundations/financial-arithmetic-time-value-and-returns/discount-factors/
* Free course: https://courses.thefintechbuilder.com
* Synthetic teaching example, not financial advice or a production library.
*
* Run it: javac Main.java && java Main
*/
import java.util.function.DoubleUnaryOperator;
public class Main {
static final class DiscountedValue {
final double factor;
final double present;
DiscountedValue(double factor, double present) {
this.factor = factor;
this.present = present;
}
}
static DiscountedValue lesson014() {
double rate = 0.10;
DoubleUnaryOperator discountFactor = t -> Math.pow(1 + rate, -t);
double factor = discountFactor.applyAsDouble(2);
DiscountedValue result = new DiscountedValue(factor, 1210 * factor);
return result;
}
public static void main(String[] args) {
DiscountedValue result = lesson014();
System.out.println(object("factor", num(result.factor), "present", num(result.present)));
}
// Formats a double the way JSON.stringify does: whole numbers without ".0", null for NaN or infinity.
static String num(double x) {
if (Double.isNaN(x) || Double.isInfinite(x)) return "null";
if (x == Math.rint(x) && Math.abs(x) < 1e15) return String.valueOf((long) x);
return String.valueOf(x);
}
static String quote(String text) {
return "\"" + text.replace("\\", "\\\\").replace("\"", "\\\"") + "\"";
}
// Indents an already formatted JSON value by one level.
static String nested(String json) {
return json.replace("\n", "\n ");
}
static String object(String... keysAndValues) {
if (keysAndValues.length == 0) return "{}";
StringBuilder out = new StringBuilder("{");
for (int i = 0; i < keysAndValues.length; i += 2) {
out.append(i == 0 ? "\n " : ",\n ")
.append(quote(keysAndValues[i])).append(": ").append(nested(keysAndValues[i + 1]));
}
return out.append("\n}").toString();
}
}
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Read the code here, then run it in your own toolchain or a ready-made cloud workspace.
Expected output
{
"factor": 0.8264462809917354,
"present": 999.9999999999999
}// Fintech Math Bootcamp · Lesson 014 of 120
// Discount Factors and Discount Rates
// Module 02: Financial Arithmetic, Time Value, and Returns
//
// Scenario: One price today for one unit paid later
// Rule: DF(t) = (1+r)⁻ᵗ
//
// Try it: What is the discount factor at time zero?
//
// Lesson article: https://thefintechbuilder.com/financial-mathematics-statistics-and-data-foundations/financial-arithmetic-time-value-and-returns/discount-factors/
// Free course: https://courses.thefintechbuilder.com
// Synthetic teaching example, not financial advice or a production library.
//
// Run it: go run main.go
package main
import (
"encoding/json"
"fmt"
"math"
)
type DiscountedValue struct {
Factor float64 `json:"factor"`
Present float64 `json:"present"`
}
func lesson014() DiscountedValue {
rate := 0.10
discountFactor := func(t float64) float64 { return math.Pow(1+rate, -t) }
factor := discountFactor(2)
result := DiscountedValue{Factor: factor, Present: 1210 * factor}
return result
}
func main() {
printJSON(lesson014())
}
// printJSON prints a value as JSON indented with two spaces, like JSON.stringify(value, null, 2).
func printJSON(value any) {
out, err := json.MarshalIndent(value, "", " ")
if err != nil {
panic(err)
}
fmt.Println(string(out))
}
No browser runner for Go yet
Read the code here, then run it in your own toolchain or a ready-made cloud workspace.
Expected output
{
"factor": 0.8264462809917354,
"present": 999.9999999999999
}/**
* Fintech Math Bootcamp · Lesson 014 of 120
* Discount Factors and Discount Rates
* Module 02: Financial Arithmetic, Time Value, and Returns
*
* Scenario: One price today for one unit paid later
* Rule: DF(t) = (1+r)⁻ᵗ
*
* Try it: What is the discount factor at time zero?
*
* Lesson article: https://thefintechbuilder.com/financial-mathematics-statistics-and-data-foundations/financial-arithmetic-time-value-and-returns/discount-factors/
* Free course: https://courses.thefintechbuilder.com
* Synthetic teaching example, not financial advice or a production library.
*
* Run it: g++ -std=c++17 -o main main.cpp && ./main
*/
#include <charconv>
#include <cmath>
#include <iostream>
#include <string>
#include <utility>
#include <vector>
// Formats a double the way JSON.stringify does: shortest round-trip form, null for NaN or infinity.
std::string num(double x) {
if (!std::isfinite(x)) return "null";
char buffer[32];
auto [end, error] = std::to_chars(buffer, buffer + sizeof buffer, x);
(void)error;
return std::string(buffer, end);
}
std::string quote(const std::string& text) {
std::string out = "\"";
for (char c : text) {
if (c == '"' || c == '\\') out += '\\';
out += c;
}
return out + "\"";
}
// Indents an already formatted JSON value by one level.
std::string nested(const std::string& json) {
std::string out;
for (char c : json) {
out += c;
if (c == '\n') out += " ";
}
return out;
}
std::string object(const std::vector<std::pair<std::string, std::string>>& fields) {
if (fields.empty()) return "{}";
std::string out = "{";
for (std::size_t i = 0; i < fields.size(); ++i) {
out += i == 0 ? "\n " : ",\n ";
out += quote(fields[i].first) + ": " + nested(fields[i].second);
}
return out + "\n}";
}
struct DiscountedValue {
double factor;
double present;
};
DiscountedValue lesson014() {
const double rate = 0.10;
auto discountFactor = [rate](double t) { return std::pow(1 + rate, -t); };
const double factor = discountFactor(2);
const DiscountedValue result{factor, 1210 * factor};
return result;
}
int main() {
const DiscountedValue result = lesson014();
std::cout << object({{"factor", num(result.factor)}, {"present", num(result.present)}}) << "\n";
}
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Read the code here, then run it in your own toolchain or a ready-made cloud workspace.
Expected output
{
"factor": 0.8264462809917354,
"present": 999.9999999999999
}//! Fintech Math Bootcamp · Lesson 014 of 120
//! Discount Factors and Discount Rates
//! Module 02: Financial Arithmetic, Time Value, and Returns
//!
//! Scenario: One price today for one unit paid later
//! Rule: DF(t) = (1+r)⁻ᵗ
//!
//! Try it: What is the discount factor at time zero?
//!
//! Lesson article: https://thefintechbuilder.com/financial-mathematics-statistics-and-data-foundations/financial-arithmetic-time-value-and-returns/discount-factors/
//! Free course: https://courses.thefintechbuilder.com
//! Synthetic teaching example, not financial advice or a production library.
//!
//! Run it: rustc main.rs && ./main
struct DiscountedValue {
factor: f64,
present: f64,
}
fn lesson014() -> DiscountedValue {
let rate: f64 = 0.10;
let discount_factor = |t: f64| (1.0 + rate).powf(-t);
let factor = discount_factor(2.0);
let result = DiscountedValue { factor, present: 1210.0 * factor };
result
}
fn main() {
let result = lesson014();
println!(
"{}",
object(&[("factor", num(result.factor)), ("present", num(result.present))])
);
}
/// Formats a number the way JSON.stringify does: shortest round-trip form, null for NaN or infinity.
fn num(x: f64) -> String {
if x.is_finite() {
format!("{}", x)
} else {
"null".to_string()
}
}
fn quote(text: &str) -> String {
format!("\"{}\"", text.replace('\\', "\\\\").replace('"', "\\\""))
}
/// Indents an already formatted JSON value by one level.
fn nested(json: &str) -> String {
json.replace('\n', "\n ")
}
fn object(fields: &[(&str, String)]) -> String {
if fields.is_empty() {
return "{}".to_string();
}
let lines: Vec<String> = fields
.iter()
.map(|(key, value)| format!(" {}: {}", quote(key), nested(value)))
.collect();
format!("{{\n{}\n}}", lines.join(",\n"))
}
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Read the code here, then run it in your own toolchain or a ready-made cloud workspace.
Expected output
{
"factor": 0.8264462809917354,
"present": 999.9999999999999
}/**
* Fintech Math Bootcamp · Lesson 014 of 120
* Discount Factors and Discount Rates
* Module 02: Financial Arithmetic, Time Value, and Returns
*
* Scenario: One price today for one unit paid later
* Rule: DF(t) = (1+r)⁻ᵗ
*
* Try it: What is the discount factor at time zero?
*
* Lesson article: https://thefintechbuilder.com/financial-mathematics-statistics-and-data-foundations/financial-arithmetic-time-value-and-returns/discount-factors/
* Free course: https://courses.thefintechbuilder.com
* Synthetic teaching example, not financial advice or a production library.
*
* Run it: dotnet run (inside a console project that holds this Program.cs)
*/
using System.Text.Json;
var jsonOptions = new JsonSerializerOptions { WriteIndented = true, PropertyNamingPolicy = JsonNamingPolicy.CamelCase };
Console.WriteLine(JsonSerializer.Serialize(Lesson014(), jsonOptions));
static DiscountedValue Lesson014()
{
const double rate = 0.10;
double DiscountFactor(double t) => Math.Pow(1 + rate, -t);
var factor = DiscountFactor(2);
var result = new DiscountedValue(factor, 1210 * factor);
return result;
}
record DiscountedValue(double Factor, double Present);
No browser runner for C# yet
Read the code here, then run it in your own toolchain or a ready-made cloud workspace.
Expected output
{
"factor": 0.8264462809917354,
"present": 999.9999999999999
}Prefer your own machine? Every file is in the course repository · open it in Codespaces.
Lesson notes
The rule
DF(t) = (1+r)⁻ᵗ