Four round Protocol

Definition ∞ A four-round protocol describes a communication sequence involving four distinct message exchanges between participating entities. In cryptography, this refers to a protocol structure where two parties, or multiple parties, exchange information over precisely four steps to achieve a specific security goal, such as key establishment or authentication. Each round typically involves a message sent and a response received, contributing to the protocol’s security properties and efficiency. The design of such protocols carefully balances security guarantees with communication overhead.
Context ∞ The efficiency and security of multi-party computation and zero-knowledge proof systems often depend on the number of communication rounds. News in cryptography might discuss the optimization of four-round protocols to reduce latency or improve privacy in decentralized applications. Researchers continually strive to minimize round complexity while maintaining robust security assurances for various cryptographic tasks.