LAUSR

Abstract Switching options can be deployed in various complex switching problems such as tolling agreements and the offshoring-backshoring problem. Closed form solutions to valuing switching options are not only hard, but also computationally intensive when solving numerically. We develop a new computational method to value switching options based on the moving boundary method. We show how the free boundary problem arising from switching options can be converted into a sequence of fixed boundary problems. We formulate the problem, and solve the optimal switching problem in two regimes over a finite time horizon. We establish the theoretical guarantees for this method (maximum principles, uniqueness and convergence). We demonstrate this with a numerical example and show the sensitivity of the solution with respect to problem parameters.