PLONK C++ Example - README

Project Overview

This plonk_cpp_example project is a C++ implementation of the zero-knowledge proof protocol known as PLONK. It is based on the Ethereum Research py_plonk project and translates the original Python implementation into C++. With this project, you can generate and verify zero-knowledge proofs using the PLONK protocol in C++.

Dependencies

To compile and run this project, you will need the following key dependencies:

1. nlohmann/json: A JSON handling library (used for proof serialization and deserialization).
2. libff: A C++ library for finite fields and elliptic curves, which is essential for the PLONK implementation.

Installation Steps for Dependencies

1. Installing nlohmann/json

nlohmann/json is a lightweight JSON library that supports modern C++ standards. It is used in the project for proof serialization and network communication.

You can install it as follows:

1. Clone the source code:

   git clone https://github.com/nlohmann/json

2. Or install it using a package manager (for example, on Ubuntu):

   sudo apt-get install nlohmann-json3-dev

3. Include it in the compilation process by using the -I flag:

   g++ -I/path/to/nlohmann/json -o plonk_example plonk_client.cpp plonk_lib.cpp -L/usr/local/lib -lff -lgmp -lcrypto -lpthread

2. Installing libff

libff is a C++ library for elliptic curve and finite field arithmetic, commonly used in cryptographic protocols like zero-knowledge proofs.

Steps for installation:

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/scipr-lab/libff

2. Install required dependencies: Ensure that gmp and cmake are installed by running:

   sudo apt-get install libgmp-dev cmake

3. Build and install libff:

   cd libff
   mkdir build
   cd build
   cmake ..
   make
   sudo make install

4. During compilation, include the libff library using the -I and -L flags:

   g++ -I/usr/local/include -L/usr/local/lib -lff -lgmp -lcrypto -lpthread -o plonk_example plonk_client.cpp plonk_lib.cpp

Compilation and Execution

Compilation

Once the dependencies are installed, you can compile the project with the following command:

g++ -o plonk_client plonk_client.cpp plonk_lib.cpp \
    -I/usr/local/include -I/path/to/nlohmann/json \
    -L/usr/local/lib -lff -lgmp -lcrypto -lpthread -static -s

Execution

Run the plonk_client and plonk_server programs, passing the IP address, port, and path to the ptau file as command-line arguments.

Example command to run:

./plonk_client 192.168.180.130 55554 /path/to/powersOfTau28_hez_final_11.ptau

References

• py_plonk: This project is based on the Ethereum Research implementation of the PLONK protocol in Python.
• nlohmann/json: A modern C++ JSON library used for handling JSON data in the project.
• libff: A C++ library for working with elliptic curves and finite fields, crucial for implementing cryptographic proofs.

License

This project follows the license and usage guidelines of the Ethereum Research project. Please refer to the upstream project's LICENSE for more details.