arXiv (Cornell University)
Zero-Knowledge Mechanisms
February 2023 • Ran Canetti, Amos Fiat, Yannai A. Gonczarowski
A powerful feature in mechanism design is the ability to irrevocably commit to the rules of a mechanism. Commitment is achieved by public declaration, which enables players to verify incentive properties in advance and the outcome in retrospect. However, public declaration can reveal superfluous information that the mechanism designer might prefer not to disclose, such as her target function or private costs. Avoiding this may be possible via a trusted mediator; however, the availability of a trustworthy mediator,…