Ask HN: Teach Myself Algorithmic Trading?

[romesmoke]

This summer I got my PhD in computer engineering. I have saved enough money to survive the next 6 months unemployed. I want to invest that time in serious preparation to become an algorithmic trader. If I manage to make consistent money, I'll stick. Else I'll apply to hedge funds/prop shops.

Current reading list arranged by topic below. Any further suggestions/advice? Thanks!

Culture: The Man Who Beat the Market, A Man for All Markets, Market Wizards, Reminiscences of a Stock Operator

Finance basics: CFA Prerequisites, Trading & Exchanges (Larry Harris), Wilmott, Hull

Mathematics: Chris Bishop's books (ML/DL/probability), E. T. Jayne's book, David Mackay's Information theory book, Shreve's Stochastic Calculus books

Algo trading: Robert Carver, Ernest Chan

[Rotundo]

Aldridge 2010 High Frequency Trading, A Practical Guide to Algorithmic Strategies and Trading Systems

Chan 2013 Algorithmic Trading, Winning Strategies and Their Rationale

Davey 2014 Building Winning Algorithmic Trading Systems, A Traders Journey from Data Mining to Monte Carlo Simulation to Live Trading

Halls-Moore 2017 Advanced Algorithmic Trading, Bayesian Statistics Time Series Analysis and Machine Learning for Profitable Trading Strategies

Kissell 2014 The Science of Algorithmic Trading and Portfolio Management

Leshik 2011 An Introduction to Algorithmic Trading, Basic to Advanced Strategies

[romesmoke]

Thanks! Have these actively helped you? There's too much noise around this business...

[Rotundo]

After reading enough to get started, I realized I wasn't comfortable to invest this way. Too volatile for me, I have a nervous disposition.

[dlcarrier]

Can you program? If you aren't already proficient, learn hardware description languages, like Verilog and VHDL.

[romesmoke]

I'm comfortable with Rust. Why the HW focus? I've heard about FPGAs being used for HFT, but I'm not going for sub-ms frequencies--except if it's unavoidable.