Paper 2006/312

ElGamal type signature schemes for n-dimensional vector spaces

Iwan M. Duursma and SeungKook Park

Abstract

We generalize the ElGamal signature scheme for cyclic groups to a signature scheme for n-dimensional vector spaces. The higher dimensional version is based on the untractability of the vector decomposition problem (VDP). Yoshida has shown that under certain conditions, the VDP on a two-dimensional vector space is at least as hard as the computational Diffie-Hellman problem (CDHP) on a one-dimensional subspace. (Added November 19: Steven Galbraith recently showed that for the examples that are used in the paper, the VDP is at most as hard as the Discrete Logarithm problem (DLP) on a one-dimensional subspace. This has as a consequence for the proposed signature scheme that the given examples provide the same security as (ordinary) Elliptic Curve DLP based signature schemes.)

Note: Added November 19: Steven Galbraith recently showed that for the examples that are used in the paper, the VDP is at most as hard as the Discrete Logarithm problem (DLP) on a one-dimensional subspace. This has as consequence for the proposed signature scheme that the given examples provide the same security as (ordinary) Elliptic Curve DLP based signature schemes.