Announcing the Expander Compiler Collection (ECC)

We’re thrilled to introduce the latest enhancement to the Expander toolbox: the ExpanderCompilerCollection (ECC). Designed as a crucial component of the Expander proof system, ECC seamlessly transforms circuits written in gnark into an intermediate representation (IR) of layered circuits. This IR serves as the foundation for generating proofs using the Expander prover, enabling developers to effortlessly produce GKR proofs for gnark circuits.

Why ECC?

At the heart of ECC lies the optimization prowess of the GKR protocol. Unlike traditional proving systems like Groth16 and Plonk, which rely on Rank One Constraint Systems (R1CS) or Plonkish arithmetization, GKR is uniquely tailored for layered circuit presentations. ECC bridges this gap by facilitating the conversion from R1CS to layered circuits, ensuring compatibility with existing community solutions and enabling state-of-the-art proving times.

How Does ECC Work?

The process of writing optimized layered circuits for GKR provers entails intricate nuances. We’ve meticulously detailed our methodology in our technical documentation. Additionally, we’ve provided comprehensive API definitions and several illustrative examples on how to leverage our compiler. As demonstrated in this simple example, invoking our compiler requires minimal code, often less than 10 lines, ensuring a straightforward integration process.

Conclusion

In essence, ECC represents a pivotal advancement within the Expander ecosystem, offering a seamless transition from gnark circuits to layered circuit representations. With the addition of ECC, Expander now is fully compatible with existing R1CS-based solutions, further propelling cryptographic proof-generation capabilities into the future.