Event-Based Limit Order Book Simulation under a Neural Hawkes Process: Application in Market-Making

ArXiv ID: 2502.17417 “View on arXiv”

Authors: Unknown

Abstract

In this paper, we propose an event-driven Limit Order Book (LOB) model that captures twelve of the most observed LOB events in exchange-based financial markets. To model these events, we propose using the state-of-the-art Neural Hawkes process, a more robust alternative to traditional Hawkes process models. More specifically, this model captures the dynamic relationships between different event types, particularly their long- and short-term interactions, using a Long Short-Term Memory neural network. Using this framework, we construct a midprice process that captures the event-driven behavior of the LOB by simulating high-frequency dynamics like how they appear in real financial markets. The empirical results show that our model captures many of the broader characteristics of the price fluctuations, particularly in terms of their overall volatility. We apply this LOB simulation model within a Deep Reinforcement Learning Market-Making framework, where the trading agent can now complete trade order fills in a manner that closely resembles real-market trade execution. Here, we also compare the results of the simulated model with those from real data, highlighting how the overall performance and the distribution of trade order fills closely align with the same analysis on real data.

Keywords: Limit Order Book (LOB), Neural Hawkes process, LSTM, Deep Reinforcement Learning, Market making, Equities

Complexity vs Empirical Score

• Math Complexity: 8.5/10
• Empirical Rigor: 7.0/10
• Quadrant: Holy Grail
• Why: The paper employs advanced mathematics, including Neural Hawkes processes, nonlinear multivariate point processes, and deep reinforcement learning, which is highly mathematically dense. Empirically, it uses real LOB data, compares simulated results to real markets, and applies the model to a practical market-making strategy, indicating strong backtest-readiness and implementation focus.

  flowchart TD
    A["Research Goal: Model LOB dynamics & apply to Market-Making"] --> B["Data: Exchange LOB Data\n(12 Event Types)"]
    B --> C["Methodology: Neural Hawkes Process\n(LSTM for temporal dynamics)"]
    C --> D["Computational Process: Event-Driven LOB Simulation"]
    D --> E["Output: Synthetic Midprice Process\n(Captures Volatility & Event Correlations)"]
    E --> F["Application: Deep Reinforcement Learning\nMarket-Making Agent"]
    F --> G["Key Outcomes: Validated Realism vs. Real Data\n(Trade Execution Distribution & Performance)"]