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From: Peter R <peter_r@gmx.com>
In-Reply-To: <CABm2gDrOt2m6xfYjtVJne6Cm2nawXtA2-a4y7kaEA1fEgkUUUA@mail.gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 2015 09:38:26 -0700
Message-Id: <EA4673B8-C895-40F8-A71D-4BD5045A57D8@gmx.com>
References: <CAEgR2PFQtr78B3t147=3Ko4VnTGevb0QCySk=hDSqeFHZk=MPQ@mail.gmail.com>
	<CABm2gDrOt2m6xfYjtVJne6Cm2nawXtA2-a4y7kaEA1fEgkUUUA@mail.gmail.com>
To: =?utf-8?Q?Jorge_Tim=C3=B3n?= <jtimon@jtimon.cc>
Cc: Bitcoin Dev <bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org>,
	Daniele Pinna <daniele.pinna@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [bitcoin-dev] Dev-list's stance on potentially altering the PoW
	algorithm
Precedence: list


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> On Oct 2, 2015, at 1:20 AM, Jorge Tim=C3=B3n via bitcoin-dev =
<bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org> wrote:
> On Oct 2, 2015 10:03 AM, "Daniele Pinna via bitcoin-dev" =
<bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org =
<mailto:bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org>> wrote:
> > should an algorithm that guarantees protection from ASIC/FPGA =
optimization be found.
> This is demonstrably impossible: anything that can be done with =
software can be done with hardware. This is computer science 101.  And =
specialized hardware can always be more efficient, at least energy-wise.
>=20
I encourage Alex and Dmitry to consider submitting their paper to =
Ledger, where it will be reviewed objectively and with an open mind.  =
The authors have motivated their work, framed it in its scholarly =
context, and made explicit the contributions their paper makes.  Their =
manuscript, "Asymmetric proof-of-work based on the Generalized Birthday =
problem," clearly represents a great deal of work by the authors and I =
commend them for their efforts. =20

In the link Adam Back provided, Greg Maxwell mentioned that =E2=80=9Cit =
is far from clear that 'memory hardness' is actually a useful goal.=E2=80=9D=
  I agree with this statement; however, regardless of whether memory =
hardness turns out to be a useful goal in regards to cryptocurrency or =
not, a paper analyzing memory-hard proof-of-work schemes is certainly =
useful in helping us to figure that out.=20

Best regards,
Peter=

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<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html =
charset=3Dutf-8"></head><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; =
-webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" =
class=3D""><div><blockquote type=3D"cite" class=3D""><div class=3D"">On =
Oct 2, 2015, at 1:20 AM, Jorge Tim=C3=B3n via bitcoin-dev &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org" =
class=3D"">bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org</a>&gt; =
wrote:</div></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite" class=3D""><div =
class=3D"">On Oct 2, 2015 10:03 AM, "Daniele Pinna via bitcoin-dev" =
&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org" =
class=3D"">bitcoin-dev@lists.linuxfoundation.org</a>&gt; =
wrote:</div></blockquote><blockquote type=3D"cite" class=3D""><div =
class=3D"">&gt; should an algorithm that guarantees protection from =
ASIC/FPGA optimization be found.</div><div class=3D""><p dir=3D"ltr" =
class=3D"">This is demonstrably impossible: anything that can be done =
with software can be done with hardware. This is computer science 101. =
&nbsp;And specialized hardware can always be more efficient, at least =
energy-wise.</p></div></blockquote></div>I encourage Alex and Dmitry to =
consider submitting their paper to <i class=3D"">Ledger</i>, where it =
will be reviewed objectively and with an open mind. &nbsp;The authors =
have motivated their work, framed it in its scholarly context, and made =
explicit the contributions their paper makes. &nbsp;Their manuscript, =
"Asymmetric proof-of-work based on the Generalized Birthday problem," =
clearly represents a great deal of work by the authors and I commend =
them for their efforts. &nbsp;<div class=3D""><br class=3D""></div><div =
class=3D"">In the link Adam Back provided, Greg Maxwell mentioned that =
=E2=80=9Cit is far from clear that 'memory hardness' is actually a =
useful goal.=E2=80=9D &nbsp;I agree with this statement; however, =
regardless of whether memory hardness turns out to be a useful goal in =
regards to cryptocurrency or not,&nbsp;a paper analyzing memory-hard =
proof-of-work schemes is certainly useful in helping us to figure that =
out.&nbsp;</div><div class=3D""><br class=3D""></div><div class=3D"">Best =
regards,</div><div class=3D"">Peter</div></body></html>=

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