During his PhD studies, Alexander Munch-Hansen researched how to more efficiently generate zero-knowledge proofs: are particular type of proof allowing a prover to prove knowledge of some specific information to a verifier, without giving any additional information about it, in particular, without giving it. This can be used to, among other things, verify both correctness of machine learning or of programs, both without giving away the machine learning model or program.

Alexander specifically studied how to build zero-knowledge proofs over several different algebraic structures as well as how to build certain types of proofs very efficiently.

The new research findings contribute to the understanding of how to build zero-knowledge proofs for potentially very large problems, such as proving correctness of an execution of a very large neural network, by providing new and more scalable zero-knowledge proof systems.

The PhD study was completed at the Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Aarhus University.

This summary was prepared by the PhD student.

Time: Thursday, 16th of November 2023, at 12:30
Place: Building Nygaard 5335, room 295, Department of Computer Science, Aarhus University, Helsingforsgade 14, 8200 Aarhus N.
Title of PhD thesis: Quattro Formaggi: Zero-Knowledge from VOLE
Contact information: Alexander Munch-Hansen, e-mail: alexmunchhansen@gmail.com, tel.: +45 61316497

Members of the assessment committee:
Associate Professor Berry Schoenmakers, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Eindhoven University of Technology, the Netherlands
Assistant Professor Carla Ráfols, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Pompeu Fabra University, Spain
Professor Ira Assent, Department of Computer Science, Aarhus University, Denmark (chair)

Main supervisor:
Associate Professor Peter Scholl, Department of Computer Science, Aarhus University, Denmark

Co-supervisor:
Associate Professor Carsten Baum, Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science Cybersecurity Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark

Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English

The defence is public.

The PhD thesis is available for reading at the Graduate School of Natural Sciences/GSNS, Jens Baggesens Vej 53, building 5221, 8200 Aarhus N.