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Nova: Recursive Zero-Knowledge Arguments from Folding Schemes

Nova is a novel recursive zero-knowledge proof system designed to efficiently verify an arbitrary number of computations. It builds upon the concept of recursiv

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Abstract

Nova is a novel recursive zero-knowledge proof system designed to efficiently verify an arbitrary number of computations. It builds upon the concept of recursive proofs, allowing a proof of a computation to itself be part of a subsequent computation, thus enabling the verification of an unbounded number of steps. The key innovation in Nova is its use of a ‘folding scheme’ which combines multiple instances of a computation into a single, smaller instance. This folding process is executed within a zero-knowledge framework, specifically using a variant of the Nova protocol that relies on the PLONK proof system. Nova achieves a constant-time overhead for each step of the recursion, independent of the complexity of the computation being verified. This makes it exceptionally well-suited for scaling blockchains by enabling efficient batching and verification of off-chain computations. The system’s ability to reduce large computation chains into a single verifiable proof with minimal overhead marks a significant advancement in the scalability and efficiency of zero-knowledge proofs for distributed ledgers. Authors: Abhiram Kothapalli, Srinath Setty, Ioanna Tzialla Publication: IACR ePrint Archive Publication date: 2021-01-01

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Key findings

  • Nova introduces a recursive proof system that enables the verification of an unbounded sequence of computations.
  • It employs a novel folding scheme to combine multiple computation instances into a single, smaller instance, reducing verification overhead.
  • Nova achieves constant-time overhead per recursive step, making it highly scalable for blockchain applications.
  • The system leverages PLONK and other cryptographic primitives to construct efficient and verifiable proofs of computation.

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Citation

Abhiram Kothapalli, Srinath Setty, Ioanna Tzialla (2021). Nova: Recursive Zero-Knowledge Arguments from Folding Schemes. IACR ePrint Archive. https://eprint.iacr.org/2021/370.pdf
Canonical knowledge ID: research:nova-recursive-zero-knowledge-arguments-from-folding-schemes