Theory Blockchains and Smart Contracts

3 Hours

Explore blockchains and smart contracts, including but not limited to distributed consensus; layer 1 protocol architecture; associated cryptosystems; decentralized peer to peer networks; properties of blockchains; design of blockchain protocols and associated cryptosystems; security and privacy; scalability; liveness of such networks; proof of work; stake and other consensus mechanisms; and incentive design for participation in decentralized systems. Examine decentralized finance and decentralized applications. Only one of the following may be counted: Electrical and Computer Engineering 382C (Topic 8), Electrical and Computer Engineering 382V (Topic: Blockchains & Smart Contracts), Electrical Engineering 382V (Topic: Intro BlckChn/Smart Cntrcts).