Algebraic methods for interactive proof systems

Abstract

An algebraic technique for the construction of interactive proof systems is proposed. The technique is used to prove that every language in the polynomial-time hierarchy has an interactive proof system. For the proof, a method is developed for reducing the problem of verifying the value of a low-degree polynomial at two points to verifying the value at one new point. The results have implications for program checking, verification, and self-correction.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>