ZKP MOOC Lecture 4: Interactive Proofs (Part 1)

In this lecture, Justin Thaler introduces SNARKs (Succinct Non-Interactive Arguments of Knowledge) and their design using interactive proofs. He explains the acronym SNARK, emphasizing succinctness, non-interactivity, and the argument of knowledge. Thaler uses the example of proving knowledge of a message that hashes to zero to illustrate SNARKs and contrasts them with trivial proof systems. He then discusses interactive proofs, highlighting their completeness and soundness, and differentiates them from SNARKs by focusing on statistical vs. computational soundness, knowledge soundness, and interactivity. The lecture also touches on the Fiat-Shamir transformation as a method to render interactive protocols non-interactive and publicly verifiable.