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arXiv:0711.4032 · Leibniz international proceedings in informatics

Increasing the power of the verifier in Quantum Zero Knowledge

André Chailloux, Iordanis Kerenidis

Published Nov 26, 2007• 3 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

In quantum zero knowledge, the assumption was made that the verifier is only using unitary operations. Under this assumption, many nice properties have been shown about quantum zero knowledge, including the fact that Honest-Verifier Quantum Statistical Zero Knowledge ($HVQSZK$) is equal to Cheating-Verifier Quantum Statistical Zero Knowledge ($QSZK$) (see ~\cite{Wat02,Wat06}). In this paper, we study what happens when we allow an honest verifier to flip some coins in addition to using unitary operations. Flipping a coin is a non-unitary operation but doesn\'t seem at first to enhance the cheating possibilities of the verifier since a classical honest verifier can flip coins. In this setting, we show an unexpected result: any classical Interactive Proof has an Honest-Verifier Quantum Statistical Zero Knowledge proof with coins. Note that in the classical case, honest verifier $SZK$ is no more powerful than $SZK$ and hence it is not believed to contain even $NP$. On the other hand, in the case of cheating verifiers, we show that Quantum Statistical Zero Knowledge where the verifier applies any non-unitary operation is equal to Quantum Zero-Knowledge where the verifier uses only unitaries. One can think of our results in two complementary ways. If we would like to use the honest verifier model as a means to study the general model by taking advantage of their equivalence, then it is imperative to use the unitary definition without coins, since with the general one this equivalence is most probably not true. On the other hand, if we would like to use quantum zero knowledge protocols in a cryptographic scenario where the honest-but-curious model is sufficient, then adding the unitary constraint severely decreases the power of quantum zero knowledge protocols.

DOI
10.4230/lipics.fsttcs.2008.1744

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•Jan 1, 2005•0 citations
In quantum zero knowledge, the assumption was made that the verifier is only using unitary operations. Under this assumption, many nice properties have been shown about quantum zero knowledge, including the fact that Honest-Verifier Quantum Statistical Zero Knowledge (HVQSZKHVQSZKHVQSZK) is equal to Cheating-Verifier Quantum Statistical Zero Knowledge (QSZKQSZKQSZK) (see ~\cite{Wat02,Wat06}). In this paper, we study what happens when we allow an honest verifier to flip some coins in addition to using unitary operations. Flipping a coin is a non-unitary operation but doesn't seem at first to enhance the cheating possibilities of the verifier since a classical honest verifier can flip coins. In this setting, we show an unexpected result: any classical Interactive Proof has an Honest-Verifier Quantum Statistical Zero Knowledge proof with coins. Note that in the classical case, honest verifier SZKSZKSZK is no more powerful than SZKSZKSZK and hence it is not believed to contain even NPNPNP. On the other hand, in the case of cheating verifiers, we show that Quantum Statistical Zero Knowledge where the verifier applies any non-unitary operation is equal to Quantum Zero-Knowledge where the verifier uses only unitaries. One can think of our results in two complementary ways. If we would like to use the honest verifier model as a means to study the general model by taking advantage of their equivalence, then it is imperative to use the unitary definition without coins, since with the general one this equivalence is most probably not true. On the other hand, if we would like to use quantum zero knowledge protocols in a cryptographic scenario where the honest-but-curious model is sufficient, then adding the unitary constraint severely decreases the power of quantum zero knowledge protocols.
In this paper we propose a definition for (honest verifier) quantum statistical zero-knowledge interactive proof systems and study the resulting complexity class, which we denote QSZK/sub HV/. We prove several facts regarding this class, including: the following problem is a complete promise problem for QSZKHV: given instructions for preparing two mixed quantum states, are the states close together or far apart in the trace norm metric? This problem is a quantum generalization of the complete promise problem of Sahai and Vadhan (1997) for (classical) statistical zero-knowledge; QSZK/sub HV/ is closed under complement; QSZK/sub HV//spl sube/PSPACE. (At present it is not known if arbitrary quantum interactive proof systems can be simulated in PSPACE even for one-round proof systems); any polynomial-round honest verifier quantum statistical zero-knowledge proof system can be simulated by a two-message (i.e., one-round) honest verifier quantum statistical zero-knowledge proof system. Similarly, any polynomial-round honest verifier quantum statistical zero-knowledge proof system can be simulated by a three-message public-coin honest verifier quantum statistical zero-knowledge proof system. These facts establish close connections between classical statistical zero-knowledge and our definition for quantum statistical zero-knowledge, and give some insight regarding the effect of this zero-knowledge restriction on quantum interactive proof systems. The relationship between our definition and possible definitions of general (i.e., not necessarily honest) quantum statistical zero-knowledge are also discussed.
With the rapid development of quantum computers, proofs of quantumness have recently become an interesting research direction. However, in current schemes for proofs of quantumness, quantum provers face the risk of being maliciously exploited by classical verifiers. Through malicious strategies in interaction with quantum provers, classical verifiers could solve some instances of hard problems that arise from the specific scheme in use. This is due to the lack of formalization that prevents malicious verifiers from extracting useful information in proofs of quantumness. To address this issue, we formalize zero-knowledge proofs of quantumness. Intuitively, the zero-knowledge property necessitates that the information gained by the classical verifier from interactions with the quantum prover should not surpass what can be simulated using a simulated classical prover interacting with the same verifier. As a result, the new zero-knowledge notion can prevent a malicious verifier from exploiting quantum advantage. We find that the classical zero-knowledge proof is sufficient to compile some existing proofs of quantumness schemes into zero-knowledge proofs of quantumness schemes. It appears to be more general to require zero-knowledge proof on the verifier side instead of the prover side. This helps to regulate the verifier's behavior from malicious to be honest-but-curious. As a result, both parties will play not only one role in the proofs of quantumness but also the dual role in the classical zero-knowledge proof. Specifically, Shor's factoring-based scheme and the learning with errors-based scheme in [Brakerski et al., FOCS, 2018] can be transformed into zero-knowledge proofs of quantumness by requiring an extractable non-interactive zero-knowledge argument on the verifier side. Zero-knowledge proofs of quantumness can thus be viewed as an enhanced security notion for proofs of quantumness.
This paper proves that several interactive proof systems are zero-knowledge against quantum attacks. This includes a few well-known classical zero-knowledge proof systems as well as quantum interactive proof systems for the complexity class HVQSZK, which comprises all problems having "honest verifier" quantum statistical zero-knowledge proofs. It is also proved that zero-knowledge proofs for every language in NP exist that are secure against quantum attacks, assuming the existence of quantum computationally concealing commitment schemes. Previously no non-trivial proof systems were known to be zero-knowledge against quantum attacks, except in restricted settings such as the honest-verifier and common reference string models. This paper therefore establishes for the first time that true zero-knowledge is indeed possible in the presence of quantum information and computation.
This paper introduces quantum analogues of non-interactive perfect and statistical zero-knowledge proof systems. Similar to the classical cases, it is shown that sharing randomness or entanglement is necessary for non-trivial protocols of non-interactive quantum perfect and statistical zero-knowledge. It is also shown that, with sharing EPR pairs a priori, the class of languages having one-sided bounded error non-interactive quantum perfect zero-knowledge proof systems has a natural complete problem. Non-triviality of such a proof system is based on the fact proved in this paper that the Graph Non-Automorphism problem, which is not known in BQP, can be reduced to our complete problem. Our results may be the first non-trivial quantum zero-knowledge proofs secure even against dishonest quantum verifiers, since our protocols are non-interactive, and thus the zero-knowledge property does not depend on whether the verifier in the protocol is honest or not. A restricted version of our complete problem derives a natural complete problem for BQP.
This paperprovesthat several interactiveproofsystems are zero-knowledgeagainstquantumattacks. This includes a few well-known classical zero-knowledge proof systems as well as quantum interactive proof systems for the complexity class QSZK HV , which comprises all problems having “honest verifier” quantum statistical zero-knowledge proofs. It is also proved that zero-knowledge proofs for every languagein NP exist that are secure against quantumattacks, assuming the existence of quantumcomputationally concealing commitment schemes. Previously no non-trivial problems were known to be zeroknowledge against quantum attacks, except in restricted settings such as the honest-verifierand common reference string models. This paper therefore establishes for the first time that true zero-knowledge is indeed possible in the presence of quantum information.