Hello, I've traded options and futures contracts in the past as a part time job and a hobby. A long time ago I learned the basics of the (classical) theory and practiced a lot using nice platforms and a couple of brokers. But I had a lot of free time and decided to "master" the theoretical background and changed my hobby. After adding a formal education in mathematics, statistics and IT/programming (11 years of fun so far), I've decided to move on to graduate studies and focus on option pricing theory considering market stylized facts (asymmetry, fat-tails and volatility clustering). Basically all you have to do is to change the underlying assumptions behind the classical models to some more "realistic" ones (I don't intend to get technical here, but this is an example). But this area is difficult for individuals. There are 2 different worlds (cutting edge theory and current practice) and their intersection seems secret (for obvious reasons). Anyway, I'd like to know if there is any place where I can meet other people in this niche where I am (not an academic nor a conventional practitioner), without enrolling in a business school. Any suggestions?
Stack exchange is great. There are a few smarties like @stochastix @Same Lazy Element and a plethora of others who also apply theory to the real world.
Thank you! That's what I was looking for. Just to be clear (because I may be misinterpreted by someone), my interest is only intellectual, although it is necessary to do empirical tests with the developed theory. Of course, common strategies with options can be profitable without adding unnecessary complexities. If I did it for the money, I would probably continue with the same strategies as before.