From Olympiad to Blockchain: A Math Prodigy Follows in John Nash’s Footsteps to Tackle AI Trust Issues

In the realm of mathematical excellence, Jasper Zhang has established himself as a colossus. Zhang, a prodigy who boasts gold medals from prestigious math competitions in both China and Russia, swiftly earned a Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, in a mere two years.

Currently, Zhang has embarked on a venture to tackle a significant challenge at the confluence of blockchain technology and artificial intelligence (AI)—two of the most rapidly evolving yet intricate domains. Leading a venture named Hyperbolic, which embarked on its journey two years ago and focuses on decentralized AI computing, Zhang and his team are at the forefront of innovation. On a recent Thursday, Hyperbolic introduced a groundbreaking protocol dubbed “Proof of Sampling (PoSP),” designed to enhance trust within decentralized AI networks.

Hyperbolic’s inception in 2022 was the brainchild of Zhang and Yuchen Jin, a peer with a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Washington. This innovative protocol, PoSP, is the result of collaborative efforts among experts from Berkeley and Columbia University. It’s a melding of mathematics, computer science, and economics, leveraging sophisticated sampling methods and game theory to promote integrity and reduce computational demands on decentralized networks, as detailed in a press release distributed to the press.

At 28, Zhang envisions PoSP as an evolution in the verification processes for decentralized networks. He shared insights, explaining that the initial consensus-based verification method has evolved, giving rise to optimistic proving and ZK (Zero-Knowledge) proofs. PoSP, according to Zhang, holds promise not only for AI applications but also for enhancing rollups—a layer-2 blockchain solution—and AVSs (Actively Validated Services), bolstered by restaking protocols such as EigenLayer.

A collaborative research effort led by Zhang yielding a paper on the Proof of Sampling Protocol was submitted to arXiv—an open-access repository by Cornell University for scholarly articles pending peer review—on May 1. The work leans on the concept of a “pure strategy Nash Equilibrium,” a pinnacle of game theory conceived by Princeton mathematician John Nash, whose life and achievements were immortalized in the film “A Beautiful Mind.”

Accompanying the release was the introduction of “spML,” a PoSP-based implementation tailored for AI verification. Zhang, in the official press announcement, highlighted that spML capitalizes on PoSP’s core principles to deliver a verification mechanism that is not only swifter and more secure but also economically viable.

The task at hand for Hyperbolic and its innovative team now is to demonstrate the practical efficacy of their advancements in the real world. This move could potentially revolutionize how trust and verification are managed within decentralized AI networks, marking a significant milestone in the intersection of blockchain and AI domains.