Skip to content

fixing template ModSubThree#34

Open
clararod9 wants to merge 1 commit into0xPARC:masterfrom
clararod9:solving_bug_modsubthree
Open

fixing template ModSubThree#34
clararod9 wants to merge 1 commit into0xPARC:masterfrom
clararod9:solving_bug_modsubthree

Conversation

@clararod9
Copy link

Template ModSubThree(n) accepts unexpected solutions when a - b - c + (1 << n) >= 0.

The template ModSubThree(n) receives three inputs a, b, c that can be expressed using n bits and performs the operation a - b - c. It returns the result of the operation using n bits (signal out), along with a signal indicating if there has been an underflow (borrow).

The condition a - b - c + (1 << n) >= 0 is introduced as an assert that is not checked at compile time as it is unknown (https://docs.circom.io/circom-language/code-quality/code-assertion/). The assert is only included in the witness generation code but it is not added to the constraint system describing the circuit, which may generate unexpected behaviors.

For example, for n = 3, the constraints of ModSubThree(3) for the inputs a = 0, b = 7, c = 7 are satisfied by the output borrow = 1, out = -6. However, this solution does not satisfy the specification of the circuit as out cannot be expressed using 3 bits.

The proposed fix incorporates the check a - b - c + (1 << n) >= 0 to the constraint system without adding extra constraints (same number of non-linear constraints, less linear constraints) by using a call to Num2Bits to both compute the value of borrow and perform this check.

Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment

Labels

None yet

Projects

None yet

Development

Successfully merging this pull request may close these issues.

1 participant