Proof of knowledge

Proof of knowledge is a way to show that you know something without actually telling anyone what that thing is.

Imagine you have a secret code that only you know. You want to prove to your friend that you know the code, but you don't want to reveal what the code is.

One way to do this is to give your friend a puzzle that can only be solved if you know the secret code. For example, you could give them a scrambled word that can only be unscrambled using the secret code. If your friend can unscramble the word, they can be pretty sure that you actually know the secret code, without you ever needing to say what the code is.

This is a bit like how proof of knowledge works. Instead of secrets and puzzles, it uses mathematical algorithms to prove that someone knows a secret without revealing the secret itself. It's a way of proving that you have confidential information, without actually disclosing that information.

In summary, proof of knowledge allows someone to prove they know something without actually revealing what that thing is. It's like a puzzle that only the person with the knowledge can solve.