Understanding Pedersen and Kate Commitments
Cryptographic commitments play a pivotal role in ensuring the integrity and security of digital transactions and communications. Among the myriad of commitment schemes available, Pedersen and Kate commitments stand out for their unique properties and applications. This article delves into the intricacies of both, drawing insights from a previous discussion on Kate commitments Kate Polynomial Commitments . What are Pedersen Commitments? Pedersen commitments are renowned for their simplicity and elegance in cryptographic circles. At its core, a Pedersen commitment allows one to commit to a chosen value while keeping it hidden, with the ability to reveal the committed value later. The magic lies in its two-fold assurance: it's both hiding (the value cannot be guessed) and binding (the committer can't change the value once committed). The Mechanism Select Parameters : Choose a large prime number p and a generator g of a group of order q (where q is also a large prime