List of Common Acronyms

Our jargon is full of acronyms. While they are useful to keep communications short and snappy, they can be quite opaque. Especially when they are hard to look up! Below is a list of common acronyms, ordered alphabetically.

A

• AES - advanced encryption standard.
• AGM - algebraic group model.
• AHP - algebraic holographic proof.
• AIR - algebraic intermediate representation.

B

• BARG - batch argument.
• BCS transform- Ben-Sasson–Chiesa–Spooner.
• BLS curves - Barreto–Lynn–Scott.
• BLS signatures - Boneh–Lynn–Sacham.
• BN curves - Barreto–Naehrig.

C

• CCS - customizable constraint system.
• coSNARK - collaborative SNARK.
• CRS - common reference string.

D

• DA - data availability.
• DAS scheme - data availability sampling scheme.
• DEEP - domain extension for the elimination of pretenders.
• DKG - distributed key generation.
• DLOG - discrete logarithm.
• DSA - digital signature algorithm.
• DSL - domain-specific language.

E

• ECC -
  • elliptic curve cryptography.
  • error-correcting codes.
• ECDSA - elliptic curve digital signature algorithm.
• EdDSA - Edwards-curve digital signature algorithm.

F

• FFT - fast Fourier transform.
• FHE - fully homomorphic encryption.
• FRI - fast Reed-Solomon IOPP of proximity.
• FS transform - Fiat–SHamir transform.

G

• GC - garbled circuit.
• GGM - generic group model.
• GKR protocol - Goldwasser–Kalai–Rothblum.
• GR1CS - generalized rank-1 constraint system.

H

• HE - homomorphic encryption.
• HSM - hardware security module.

I

• iO - indistinguishability obfuscation.
• IOP - interactive oracle proof.
• IOPP - interactive oracle proof of proximity.
• IP - interactive proof.
• IPA - inner-product argument.
• ISA - instruction set architecture.
• IVC - incrementally verifiable computation.
• IZK - interactive zero-knowledge (proof).

J

• JWT - JSON Web Token.

K

• KDF - key-derivation function.
• KEM - key encapsulation mechanism
• KZG commitment - Kate–Zaverucha–Goldberg polynomial commitment scheme.

L

• LPC - list polynomial commitment (scheme).
• LWE - learning with error.

M

• M31 - the Mersenne prime $2^{31}-1$.
• MLE - multilinear extension.
• MNT curves - Miyaji–Nakabayashi–Takano.
• MPC - multi-party computation.
• MPC-TLS - “multi-party computation TLS”, refers to systems that use MPC to attest to the contents of a TLS session.
• MSIS - module short integer solution.

N

• NARG - non-interactive argument.
• NARK - non-interactive argument of knowledge.
• NIZK - non-interactive zero-knowledge proof.
• NTT - number-theoretic transform.

O

• oPRF - oblivious pseudo-random function.

P

• PAIR - pre-processed AIR.
• PCD - proof-carrying data.
• PCP - probabilistically checkable proof.
• PCS - polynomial commitment scheme.
• PESAT relation- polynomial equation satisfaction relation .
• PIOP - polynomial interactive oracle proof.
• PPOT - perpetual powers of tau (trusted setup ceremony).
• PQC - post-quantum cryptography.
• PRF - pseudo-random function.
• PRG - pseudo-random generator.
• PVSS - publicly verifiable secret sharing.

Q

• QAP - quadratic arithmetic program.
• QROM - quantum random oracle model.

R

• R1CS - rank-1 constraint system.
• RAP - randomized AIR with pre-processing (equivalent to PLONKish arithmetization).
• RBR (knowledge) soundness - round-by-round (knowledge) soundness.
• ROM - random oracle model.
• RS code - Reed-Solomon code.
• RSA - Rivest–Shamir–Adleman.
• RTP - real-time proving.

S

• SHA - secure hash algorithm.
• SIS - short integer solution.
• SNARG - succinct non-interactive argument.
• SNARK - succinct non-interactive argument of knowledge.
• SR (knowledge) soundness - state restoration (knowledge) soundness.
• SRS - structured reference string.
• SS - secret sharing.
• SSS - Shamir secret sharing.
• STARK -
  • scalable transparent argument of knowledge.
  • (colloquial) any proof system that is based on hash functions and error-correcting codes.

T

• TEE - trusted execution environment.
• TFHE - torus fully homomorphic encryption (not to be confused with threshold FHE).
• TLS - transport layer security.

U

• UC - universal composability.

V

• VDF - verifiable delay function.
• VSS - verifiable secret sharing.

W

• WE - witness encryption.

X

• X3DH - extended triple Diffie Hellman (key agreement protocol).

Y

Z

• ZK -
  • zero-knowledge.
  • (colloquial) any cryptographic proof.
• zkAI - ZK (in the broad “any kind of cryptographic proof” sense) artificial intelligence.
• zkEVM - zero-knowledge Ethereum virtual machine.
• zkID - zero-knowledge identity.
• zkML - ZK (in the broad “any kind of cryptographic proof” sense) machine learning.
• ZKP - ZK proof, both interpretation of the “ZK” acronym are possible.
• zkTLS - “zero-knowledge TLS”, refers to systems that attest to the contents of a TLS session.
• zkVM - zero-knowledge virtual machine.
• zkzk - refers to systems that are zero-knowledge in contexts where “ZK” has been extended to mean “any kind of cryptographic proof”.

0-9

• 2-PC - two-party computation.