Understanding Zero-Knowledge Proofs: Proving Compositeness Without Revealing Factors
By
ColinWright
6mo ago· 4 min readen
75/100
Toasty
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Crackles when you bite it. Shows the baker did the work.
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Summary
The article explains zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) using the example of proving a number is composite without revealing its factors. It describes how ZKPs allow one party to prove they know something (like a number's compositeness) without revealing any additional information. The article uses concrete analogies including a deck of cards example and discusses how ZKPs have applications in cryptography, privacy-preserving protocols, and digital signatures.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledA zero knowledge proof (ZKP) answers a question without revealing anything more than answer.
If I draw a spade from the deck, I can prove that I drew a spade without showing which card I drew.
Composite numbers can be proven to be composite without revealing their factors.
Zero-knowledge proofs have applications in cryptography, privacy-preserving protocols, and digital signatures.
The fundamental idea is that you can prove you know something without revealing what you know.
Testing whether a number is composite as an example of a zero knowledge proof. How ZKPs are used more generally.
