This note points out a gap between two natural formulations of
the concept of a proof of knowledge, and shows that in all
natural cases (e.g., NP-statements) this gap can be closed.
The aforementioned formulations differ by whether they refer to
(all possible) probabilistic or deterministic prover strategies.
Unlike ... more >>>

The most intriguing aspect of the new theory of matchgate computations and holographic algorithms by Valiant~\cite{Valiant:Quantum} \cite{Valiant:Holographic} is that its reach and ultimate capability are wide open. The methodology produces unexpected polynomial time algorithms solving problems which seem to require exponential time. To sustain our belief in P $\not =$ ... more >>>

We give new constructions of randomness extractors and lossless condensers that are optimal to within constant factors in both the seed length and the output length. For extractors, this matches the parameters of the current best known construction [LRVW03]; for lossless condensers, the previous best constructions achieved optimality to within ... more >>>