Round-Optimal Zero-Knowledge Arguments Based on any One-Way Function

We ll a gap in the theory of zero-knowledge protocols by presenting NP-arguments that achieve negligible error probability and computational zero-knowledge in four rounds of interaction, assuming only the existence of a one-way function. This result is optimal in the sense that four rounds and a one-way function are each individually necessary to achieve a negligible error zero-knowledge argument for NP. Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Mail Code 0114, University of California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA. E-mail: [email protected]. Supported in part by NSF CAREER Award CCR-9624439 and a Packard Foundation Fellowship in Science and Engineering. Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Mail Code 0114, University of California at San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA. E-mail: [email protected]. CertCo, New York, NY, USA. E-mail: [email protected]