Computational Complexity and Tort Deterrence
研究了侵权威慑模型中加害人注意问题的计算复杂性，发现当注意集是多维离散时问题难以计算，从而挑战了传统侵权法能提供稳健威慑的假设。
Standard formulations of the economic model of tort deterrence constitute the injurer as the unboundedly rational bad man. Unbounded rationality implies that the injurer can always compute the solution to his caretaking problem. This in turn implies that optimal liability rules can provide robust deterrence, for they can always induce the injurer to take socially optimal care. In this paper I examine the computational complexity of the injurer’s caretaking problem. I show that the injurer’s problem is computationally tractable when the precaution set is unidimensional or convex but that it is computationally intractable when the precaution set is multidimensional and discrete. One implication is that the standard assumptions of unidimensional and convex care, though seemingly innocuous, are pivotal to ensuring that tort law can provide robust deterrence. It is therefore important to recognize situations with multidimensional discrete care, where robust tort deterrence may not be possible.