Notes on Proofs, Arguments, and Zero-Knowledge

ZKP

Tags: machine learning, security, privacy, and mobile computing.

Guided by Liyao Xiang.

Proofs, Arguments, and Zero-Knowledge

https://people.cs.georgetown.edu/jthaler/ProofsArgsAndZK.html

1 Introduction

  • IPs: interactive proofs
  • MIP: multi-prover interactive proofs
  • PCP: probabilistically checkable proofs
  • zk-SNARK: Zero-Knowledge Succinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge

2 Fingerprinting and Freivalds’ Algorithm

2.1 Reed-Solomon Fingerprinting

A Reed-Solomon code can be viewed as a polynomial generated from the data (see Figure 2-1).

The probability of a hash collision must be small; otherwise, it undermines reliability.

2.2 Freivalds’ Algorithm

Both protocols reduce the task of checking whether two large objects are equal - vectors in Reed-Solomon fingerprinting, and the claimed and actual answer matrices in Freivalds’ algorithm - to checking the equality of one random entry in distance-amplifying encodings of those objects.

2.3 Lagrange Interpolation

Recurrence formula (2.10).

3 Definitions and Technical Preliminaries

3.1 IPs

Errors: $\delta_c$ is the completeness error, and $\delta_s$ is the soundness error.

Cost factors for an interactive proof:

  • The running time of P and V
  • The space used by P and V
  • The total number of communicated bits
  • The total number of messages exchanged

If V and P exchange $k$ messages, the upper bound $k/2$ is called the round complexity of the interactive proof system.

3.2 Argument Systems

  • Computational soundness
  • Reusability
  • Public verifiability

3.3 Robustness

Why does Definition 3.1 require $\delta_c$ and $\delta_s$ to be at most 1/3?

This choice is for convenience or aesthetics and does not change the result.

3.4 Schwartz-Zippel Lemma

A degree-$d$ polynomial has at most $d$ roots.

3.5 Low-Degree and Multilinear Extensions

How is the Lagrange interpolation in Figure 3.2 used?

image alt

4 IPs

4.1 Sum-Check

Algorithm explanation:

Example:

Advantage: the verifier’s messages to the prover contain only random field elements and are therefore completely independent of the input polynomial $g$.

4.2 SAT $\in$ IP

The SAT problem asks whether a formula in conjunctive normal form is satisfiable.

The SAT protocol is closely related to IP = PSPACE: the class of problems solvable by interactive proofs with polynomial-time verifiers is exactly the class of problems solvable in polynomial space.

Doubly efficient IPs.

4.4 Third Application: Super-Efficient IP for MATMULT

This section describes the highly optimized IP protocol for matrix multiplication (MATMULT) from [Tha13].

Given two $n \times n$ input matrices $A$ and $B$ over a field $F$, MATMULT computes the matrix product $C=A \cdot B$.

Compared with Freivalds’ protocol, this protocol avoids requiring P to send the complete answer matrix.

2.15

sec18-adi

Watermark MLaaS, where the service can only be used by one person.

Method: use backdoors.

(Pedersen commitment algorithm)

Opening a commitment: decrypting.

Two properties of commitments: binding and hiding.

Setup - input - proof - verify.

Peng: introduce the Pedersen commitment algorithm. For further reading, see Chapters 14-16 on polynomial commitments in Proofs, Arguments, and Zero-Knowledge.

Wu: read Chapter 10 of Proofs, Arguments, and Zero-Knowledge, focusing on Section 10.3.

Commitment

Use private data without decrypting it.

Process:

  • Commit: for data $v$, compute the corresponding commitment $c$, then send $v$ and $c$ to the verifier.
  • Open the commitment: receive $v$, compute the corresponding commitment $c’$, and compare $c$ with $c’$.

Two properties:

  • Hiding: before the commitment is opened, the verifier does not know $v$.
  • Binding: $v$ is uniquely associated with the commitment $c$.

The opening phase can use a ZKP to protect $v$.

Hash Commitment

The simplest commitment scheme.

For a hash function, one-wayness provides hiding, while collision resistance provides binding.

image alt

Image source: Cryptographic Commitments

Pedersen Commitment

Algorithm: Proofs, Arguments, and Zero-Knowledge, Section 12.3, Protocol 5.

A cyclic group is a group $G$ in which every element is a power of one fixed element $a$. It is written as $G=(a)$, and $a$ is called a generator of the group. A group is a special kind of set, and “element” refers to a member of that set.

image alt

A random value plus the hardness of the discrete logarithm problem provides hiding.

$c=g^m h^z$ provides binding and additive homomorphism: two Pedersen commitments can be combined,

\[c_1 \cdot c_2 = g^{m_1} h^{z_1} \cdot g^{m_2} h^{z_2} = g^{m_1+m_2} h^{z_1+z_2} = g^{m_3} h^{z_3} = c_3.\]

Computational hardness:

  • Integer factorization problem
    • Given two large primes $p$ and $q$, it is easy to compute $n=pq$. Given $n$, however, finding $p$ and $q$ is difficult.
  • Discrete logarithm problem
    • Over the real numbers, computing $\log_2(9)$ using binary search is easy.
    • In a finite field with modulus $n$ and generator $g$, given an integer $a$, it is easy to compute $g^a=b$. Given $b$ and $g$, however, computing $a$ is difficult. This involves arithmetic over finite fields.
  • Elliptic-curve discrete logarithm problem
    • In an elliptic-curve group over a finite field $F$, let $P$ be a point on the curve. Given an integer $a$, computing $aP=Q$ is easy. Given $P$ and $Q$, however, computing $a$ is difficult.

Polynomial Commitment

2.18

Watermarking, commitments, and ZKPs:

  1. Applications of digital watermarks in neural networks
  2. Combining digital watermarks with cryptographic tools such as zero-knowledge proofs

A Survey of Deep Neural Network Watermarking Techniques

A Systematic Review on Model Watermarking for Neural Networks

3.15

Blockchain timestamps and ambiguity attacks.

The model is public, but verification is black-box because the parameters are not disclosed.

Computational-resource assumption: an attacker will not spend excessive resources retraining a model because the cost would be too high.

The trigger must be strong enough that it cannot be removed through adversarial fine-tuning.


Translated from the original Chinese with AI assistance.