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Learning about Blockchain, Bitcoin and/or Ethereum? We recommend starting with the Byzantine General Problem. BGP is a classic problem faced by any distributed computer system network. Also known as Byzantine Fault Tolerance – solving this problem is the backbone of what makes the blockchain so exciting.
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Transcript:
To help understand the blockchain, let’s examine a classic agreement issue known as The Byzantine Generals problem.
In this scenario, several army troops surround a castle they hope to conquer. Each troop has one general designated as the lead.
The troops are dispersed, so a central command is difficult.
To coordinate, the generals must relay a message instructing when to act, but only a simultaneous attack ensures victory.
The problem is that the generals do not know who is loyal and who is a traitor. So how can the generals reach a collective decision and conquer the castle?
This is where blockchain comes to the rescue.
The blockchain uses a distributed ledger, which functions like the distributed attack. Inputs to the ledger (like the attack messages) must be trusted.
Much like the troops surrounding the castle, how can a network trust the other members AND ensure that the messages are valid?
Here is how:
All participating members must agree on every message that is transmitted. If a member is corrupt -OR- the message is corrupt – then the message will be resisted, and the network will not be affected.
Before broadcasting their message to the block – a miner is required to compute a complex “proof-of-work” puzzle. Solving this correctly creates a hash, validates the message, and a “consensus” is reached.
In the case of the Byzantine generals, proof of work on the blockchain ensures that they can only send trusted messages to the troops, which guarantees a successful coordinated attack.
For additional information on the concepts covered in this video, or to learn more about blockchain and the technology it powers, check out the additional content modules within the education portal.