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Asymmetric Computation

Definition

Asymmetric computation involves a computational task where one side performs significantly more work than the other. This concept is particularly relevant in cryptography and blockchain systems, where verifying a proof or transaction requires far less computational effort than generating it. For instance, in zero-knowledge proofs, a prover expends considerable resources to construct a proof, while a verifier can confirm its validity with minimal computational cost. This imbalance in effort allows for efficient verification of complex computations without re-executing them.