benches

📊 Usage & Benchmark Overview

This directory contains benchmarking scripts and experimental evaluations used for analyzing the performance of folding-based SNARKs in the context of committee rotation.

The archives/ folder includes experiments that are not included in the final version of the thesis but may still be useful for reference.

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🧪 Benchmark Descriptions

ext_nova_folding_no_merkle_{mem,time} and ext_nova_folding_merkle_forest_{mem,time}

These files estimate the memory (_mem) and execution time (_time) required for folding-based SNARK proof generation using Nova. Due to the extremely high constraint count, extrapolation is used rather than full execution. Benchmarks are conducted with and without Leveled Merkle Forest (LMF) optimizations.

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lmf_time and lmf_mem

• lmf_time measures:

  • The time to construct the LMF
  • Comparison with a traditional Merkle tree of equivalent size
  • Average time to generate 10 inclusion proofs for randomly selected leaves
  • Average proof length

• lmf_mem captures:

  • Peak memory usage during LMF construction
  • Memory comparison with a standard Merkle tree

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constraints

Measures the number of R1CS constraints contributed by each component within the folding circuit.

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folding_no_merkle and folding_merkle_forest

Benchmarks the time taken to perform five folding steps:

• folding_no_merkle: Without LMF optimization
• folding_merkle_forest: With LMF optimization

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🗃️ Archived Experiments

These files contain older or exploratory benchmarks that were ultimately excluded from the thesis but may offer additional insight.

bls_pairing

Compares two methods of verifying BLS signatures:

• Direct pairing comparison
• Running Miller's loop separately and performing one final exponentiation

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groth16_single_step_native and groth16_single_step_emulation

Benchmarks Groth16 proof generation and verification for BLS signatures:

• groth16_single_step_native: Using native field arithmetic
• groth16_single_step_emulation: Using field emulation (not benchmarked with Criterion due to long runtimes; uses std::time::Duration instead)

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bls_r1cs_constraints

Measures the R1CS constraint count for each component of a BLS signature verification circuit.

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nova_folding_no_merkle

Benchmarks the time required to use a Nova + Groth16 folding-based SNARK to prove committee rotation (without LMF).