Definition ∞ Interactive protocols are communication procedures requiring multiple rounds of exchange between participating parties to achieve a common goal. Unlike one-way communications, these protocols involve a sequence of messages and responses, where each party’s action depends on previous messages received. They are crucial in cryptographic applications for establishing shared secrets, proving knowledge without revealing information, or facilitating secure computations. This back-and-forth communication ensures mutual verification and agreement among participants.
Context ∞ In blockchain and distributed systems, interactive protocols are essential for zero-knowledge proofs, secure multi-party computation, and certain consensus mechanisms. A significant challenge lies in optimizing these protocols to minimize the number of communication rounds and computational overhead, especially on resource-constrained networks. Research continues to seek more efficient and non-interactive alternatives where possible, balancing security with performance requirements.
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