# zkSNARKs in a nutshell

DevFeed: [zkSNARKs in a nutshell](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/zksnarks-in-a-nutshell-16793.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://blog.ethereum.org/en/2016/12/05/zksnarks-in-a-nutshell>)

Author: Christian Reitwiessner

Published: 2016-12-05T12:07:36Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [Ethereum Foundation Blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/ethereum-foundation-blog.md>)

Topics: [zero-knowledge](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/zero-knowledge.md>), [Cryptography](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/cryptography.md>), [Encryption](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/encryption.md>)

Tags: [blog-post](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/blog-post.md>), [encryption](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/encryption.md>), [research-development](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/research-development.md>), [zero-knowledge](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/zero-knowledge.md>)

## AI overview

This article explains zkSNARKs through four main techniques: encoding computations as polynomial equations, reducing verification through random sampling, using homomorphic encoding or encryption, and preserving zero knowledge by masking encoded values.

## Source excerpt

The possibilities of zkSNARKs are impressive, you can verify the correctness of computations without having to execute them and you will not even learn what was executed - just that it was done correctly. Unfortunately, most explanations of zkSNARKs resort to hand-waving at some point and thus they remain something...