Sigma Protocols and Efficient Zero-Knowledge¹

Abstract

A zero-knowledge proof is an interactive proof with the additional property that the verifier learns nothing beyond the correctness of the statement being proved. The theory of zero-knowledge proofs is beautiful and rich, and is a cornerstone of the foundations of cryptography. In the context of cryptographic protocols, zero-knowledge proofs can be used to enforce “good behavior” by having parties prove that they indeed followed the protocol correctly. These proofs must reveal nothing about the parties’ private inputs, and as such must be zero knowledge. Zero-knowledge proofs are often considered an expensive (and somewhat naive) way of enforcing honest behavior, and those who view them in this way consider them to be not very useful when constructing efficient protocols.