Cryptology ePrint Archive: Report 2006/359

On Probabilistic versus Deterministic Provers in the Definition of Proofs Of Knowledge

Mihir Bellare and Oded Goldreich

Abstract: This note points out a gap between two natural formulations of the concept of a proof of knowledge, and shows that in all natural cases (e.g., NP-statements) this gap can be closed. The aforementioned formulations differ by whether they refer to (all possible) probabilistic or deterministic prover strategies. Unlike in the rest of cryptography, in the current context, the obvious transformation of probabilistic strategies to deterministic strategies does not seem to suffice per se.

Category / Keywords: foundations / Proof of Knowledge, Probabilistic Proof Systems, Probabilism versus Determinism, Expected Running Time

Date: received 22 Oct 2006

Contact author: oded goldreich at weizmann ac il

Available format(s): Postscript (PS) | Compressed Postscript (PS.GZ) | BibTeX Citation

Note: Posted also on ECCC

Version: 20061023:072341 (All versions of this report)

Short URL: ia.cr/2006/359