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add detailed contribution guidelines to readme #280

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Dec 6, 2023
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add detailed contribution guidelines to readme #280

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add detailed contribution guidelines to readme
srinathsetty Dec 6, 2023
de3bd15
move it upfront
srinathsetty Dec 6, 2023
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18 changes: 15 additions & 3 deletions README.md
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Nova is a high-speed recursive SNARK (a SNARK is type cryptographic proof system that enables a prover to prove a mathematical statement to a verifier with a short proof and succinct verification, and a recursive SNARK enables producing proofs that prove statements about prior proofs).

> [!IMPORTANT]
> This project accepts external contributions, but please read [this](#additional-guidelines) section before contributing.

More precisely, Nova achieves [incrementally verifiable computation (IVC)](https://iacr.org/archive/tcc2008/49480001/49480001.pdf), a powerful cryptographic primitive that allows a prover to produce a proof of correct execution of a "long running" sequential computations in an incremental fashion. For example, IVC enables the following: The prover takes as input a proof $\pi_i$ proving the first $i$ steps of its computation and then update it to produce a proof $\pi_{i+1}$ proving the correct execution of the first $i + 1$ steps. Crucially, the prover's work to update the proof does not depend on the number of steps executed thus far, and the verifier's work to verify a proof does not grow with the number of steps in the computation. IVC schemes including Nova have a wide variety of applications such as Rollups, verifiable delay functions (VDFs), succinct blockchains, incrementally verifiable versions of [verifiable state machines](https://eprint.iacr.org/2020/758.pdf), and, more generally, proofs of (virtual) machine executions (e.g., EVM, RISC-V).

A distinctive aspect of Nova is that it is the simplest recursive proof system in the literature, yet it provides the fastest prover. Furthermore, it achieves the smallest verifier circuit (a key metric to minimize in this context): the circuit is constant-sized and its size is about 10,000 multiplication gates. Nova is constructed from a simple primitive called a *folding scheme*, a cryptographic primitive that reduces the task of checking two NP statements into the task of checking a single NP statement.
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -52,9 +55,6 @@ For efficiency, our implementation of the Nova proof system is instantiated over
Wilson Nguyen, Dan Boneh, and Srinath Setty \
IACR ePrint 2023/969

## Acknowledgments
See the contributors list [here](https://github.com/microsoft/Nova/graphs/contributors)

## Contributing

This project welcomes contributions and suggestions. Most contributions require you to agree to a
Expand All @@ -69,10 +69,22 @@ This project has adopted the [Microsoft Open Source Code of Conduct](https://ope
For more information see the [Code of Conduct FAQ](https://opensource.microsoft.com/codeofconduct/faq/) or
contact [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]) with any additional questions or comments.

### Additional guidelines
This codebase implements a sophisticated cryptographic protocol, necessitating proficiency in cryptography, mathematics, security, and software engineering. Given the inherent complexity, the introduction of subtle bugs is a pervasive concern, rendering the acceptance of substantial contributions exceptionally challenging. Consequently, external contributors are kindly urged to submit incremental, easily reviewable pull requests (PRs) that encapsulate well-defined changes.

Our preference is to maintain code that is not only simple, but also easy to comprehend and maintain. This approach facilitates the auditing of code for correctness and security. To achieve this objective, we may prioritize code simplicity over minor performance enhancements, particularly when such improvements entail intricate, challenging-to-maintain code that disrupts abstractions.

In the event that you propose performance-related changes through a PR, we anticipate the inclusion of reproducible benchmarks demonstrating substantial speedups across a range of typical circuits. This rigorous benchmarking ensures that the proposed changes meaningfully enhance the performance of a diverse set of applications built upon Nova. Each performance enhancement will undergo a thorough, case-by-case evaluation to ensure alignment with our commitment to maintaining codebase simplicity.

Lastly, should you intend to submit a substantial PR, we kindly request that you initiate a GitHub issue outlining your planned changes, thereby soliciting feedback prior to committing substantial time to the implementation of said changes.

## Trademarks

This project may contain trademarks or logos for projects, products, or services. Authorized use of Microsoft
trademarks or logos is subject to and must follow
[Microsoft's Trademark & Brand Guidelines](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/legal/intellectualproperty/trademarks/usage/general).
Use of Microsoft trademarks or logos in modified versions of this project must not cause confusion or imply Microsoft sponsorship.
Any use of third-party trademarks or logos are subject to those third-party's policies.

## Acknowledgments
See the contributors list [here](https://github.com/microsoft/Nova/graphs/contributors)