Part 1: Quick Start

The goal of this stage: Establish a global perspective first. Understand who the players are in the quantitative world, what strategies exist, why multi-agent architecture is needed, and where this book focuses.


Lessons

LessonTopicDeliverables
Lesson 01The Complete Landscape of Quantitative TradingGlobal perspective + Multi-agent intuition

Background Knowledge

Before starting, it's recommended to browse these background materials:

DocumentDescriptionSuggested Reading Time
Alpha and BetaThe core objective of quantitative trading: capturing excess returns10 minutes
Top Quantitative Hedge FundsSee how top institutions operate15 minutes
Famous Quantitative DisastersLessons from history: why risk control has veto power15 minutes
US vs China Market DifferencesDifferent rules across different markets10 minutes
Recommended Reading ListRecommended resources for systematic learning5 minutes

After Completing This Stage

You will be able to:

  • ✅ Understand the three tiers of quantitative trading: HFT, institutional, individual
  • ✅ Know the six major strategy types and their applicable scenarios
  • ✅ Understand why a single model isn't enough and why multi-agent architecture is needed
  • ✅ Know the positioning and learning roadmap of this book

Next Stage

Part 2: Quant Fundamentals - Build a solid foundation in finance, mathematics, and data

Cite this chapter
Zhang, Wayland (2026). Part 1: Quick Start. In AI Quantitative Trading: From Zero to One. https://waylandz.com/quant-book-en/part1-overview
@incollection{zhang2026quant_part1_overview,
  author = {Zhang, Wayland},
  title = {Part 1: Quick Start},
  booktitle = {AI Quantitative Trading: From Zero to One},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://waylandz.com/quant-book-en/part1-overview}
}