Applications of provably correct computations on encrypted information

Abstract

Recent advances in cryptography go beyond hiding or releasing information en masse: now, we can encrypt information and prove various facts about it without revealing anything else. These algorithms promise new possibilities in real-world applications such as auctions and securities exchanges. For example, an auctioneer can conclusively prove an auction was conducted according to the rules and the winner's price was optimal, without releasing any additional information about the bids or bidders. We will explore the primitive operations used to build up a complex protocol like an auction, and how they fit together to provide security to complex auctions such as those employed in selling wireless spectrum or securities.