To implement this method a problem is that the observed option prices do not provide a continuous range, so that the resulting RND is not a well-behaved function. We overcome this problem by using the smoothed volatility smile. From the observed option prices, the implied volatilities are extracted by means of the Black-Scholes pricing function. To obtain a smoothed volatility smile we then transform our data set of implied volatilities from the volatility/strike space to the volatility/delta space. In the delta space, more weight is allocated to the at-the-money options, which are more actively traded; thus the more liquid prices have more prominence in determining the.
