€1.5 M ERC Grant To BIU's D. Eylon Yogev

A cryptographic proof system is a protocol that allows a powerful prover to convince a much weaker verifier of the validity of a computational assertion. The verifier lacks the computational resources to perform the entire computation by itself, but nevertheless, by the end of the protocol, the verifier is convinced of its validity.

The recent surge in demand for massive computations and the rise of advanced applications driven by technology breakthroughs have created new requirements for these systems. Dr. Yogev and his team have discovered new mathematical ways that can be utilized to develop more efficient proof systems. These new systems hold the potential to be used in a wide variety of settings that were not applicable before.

“Imagine being able to provide proof of the correctness and integrity of an immensely complex computation that can be verified by anyone interested by communicating only a few bits,” says Dr. Yogev. “Such a seemingly magical system holds the potential to address a variety of challenges in today’s digital landscape, including blockchain technologies, training AI models, security and privacy, and more. Cryptographic proof systems serve as a gateway to realizing this vision.”

Nearly 500 Starting Grants to young scientists and scholars across Europe are being awarded by The European Research Council (ERC). Totaling €780 million, the grants support cutting-edge research in a wide range of fields, from medicine and physics to social sciences and humanities.