Efficient Zero-Knowledge Proofs for Real-World Programs

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YANG-DISSERTATION-2025.pdf (1.98 MB)
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Yang, Yibin
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School of Computer Science
School established in 2007
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https://hdl.handle.net/1853/78667
Abstract
Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) allow a prover to convince a verifier of the validity of a statement without revealing any information beyond its truth. Since their introduction in 1985 by Shafi Goldwasser, Silvio Micali, and Charles Rackoff, ZKPs have become foundational in both theoretical and applied cryptography. Most existing ZKPs operate over the circuit model. While circuits offer a clean abstraction for theoretical analysis, they diverge significantly from how real-world computation is expressed---namely, via high-level programming languages. As a result, applying ZKPs to real-world programs incurs substantial overhead in terms of both efficiency and usability. This dissertation aims to discuss why these inefficiencies exist, how they hinder broader adoption of ZKPs, and, more importantly, how we can mitigate them through new cryptographic systems and algorithmic advances.
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2025-07-28
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