What is zk?

https://www.wired.com/video/watch/5-levels-zero-knowledge-proof

bird-eyeing zkVM

What is zkVM?

https://www.lita.foundation/blog/zero-knowledge-paradigm-zkvm

<aside> 💡

In context, a zkVM is a virtual computer that is implemented as a system for generating zero knowledge proofs, or a universal circuit, or tool, for generating ZKPs for any program or computation.

</aside>

• Normally, zkVM includes not only a “VM”, but also other toolchains like:

Flow Chart

Notes

VM

• Produces execution trace in arithmetrized format
  • https://blog.lambdaclass.com/arithmetization-schemes-for-zk-snarks/
  • R1CS as in Groth16, PLONKish arithmetization as in halo2, and AIR as in plonky2 and plonky3.

Prover

• represents it as a set of polynomials bound by a set of constraints
• Polynomial Commitment Scheme(PCS)
  • Create a fingerprint(= commitment to X)
• Polynomial Interactive Oracle Proof (PIOP)
  • an interactive proof protocol consisting of a series of rounds in which the prover sends commitments to polynomials, the verifier responds with random field values, and the prover provides evaluations of the polynomial at these random values, akin to “solving” the polynomial equation using random values to probabilistically persuade the verifier.
  • Fiat-Shamir heuristic → the prover runs the PIOP in a non-interactive mode