For a stock paying a single dividend prior to expiration, I would like to estimate the difference in value between an American call and a European call with the same expiration, strike and underlier.
Pointers to literature addressing this topic are appreciated.
Proposed method:
The value of an American call $C_{\textrm{a}}$ is identical to the value of a European call $C_{\textrm{e}}$ after the dividend ex-date $t_{\textrm{d}}$,
$$
C_{\textrm{a}}\left(S,K,T-t_{\textrm{d}}^+\right) =
C_{\textrm{e}}\left(S,K,T-t_{\textrm{d}}^+\right) ~.
$$
The difference in value between $C_{\textrm{a}}$ and $C_{\textrm{e}}$ arises from the opportunity to "catch" the dividend.
Isolating this distinguishing event with European options written at time $t_0$ for the period from $t_0$ to $t_{\textrm{d}}$, the difference in value between an American call and a European call for a stock paying a single discrete dividend prior to expiry $T$ is attributable to
$$ C_{\textrm{e}}\left(S,K \textrm{e}^{r \left(T-t_{\textrm{d}}\right)},t_{\textrm{d}}^-\right) - C_{\textrm{e}}\left(S - D \textrm{e}^{-r t_{\textrm{d}}}, K \textrm{e}^{r \left(T-t_{\textrm{d}}\right)},t_{\textrm{d}}^+\right) ~. $$
Result:
The difference in value between an American call and a European call for a dividend paying stock may be estimated using European calls
$$ C_{\textrm{a}}\left(S,K,T\right) - C_{\textrm{e}}\left(S,K,T\right) \approx C_{\textrm{e}}\left(S,K \textrm{e}^{r \left(T-t_{\textrm{d}}\right)},t_{\textrm{d}}\right) - C_{\textrm{e}}\left(S - D \textrm{e}^{-r t_{\textrm{d}}}, K \textrm{e}^{r \left(T-t_{\textrm{d}}\right)},t_{\textrm{d}}\right) ~. $$