Research and Development in Computable Production Functions

In this paper, transmissibility and replicability of blueprints confine production functions to computable processes. The immediate consequence is that research and development and the emergence of technological innovations are naturally embedded in computable production functions. There is no need to introduce ad hoc probability distributions to model the arrival of innovations as the uncertain result of research and development activity. Rather, in this approach, well-known results like the halting problem or Rice theorem harness production theory so as to encompass product and process innovation. Copyright Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2004.