Study Guide for Parallel Transaction Processing on Blockchain
Keyword List
Term Definition Blockchain A decentralized distributed ledger technology used to record transaction data. Block The basic unit in a blockchain, containing a set of transaction records. Transaction An operation that transfers assets in a blockchain network. Node A computer device connected to a blockchain network that participates in verifying and storing blockchain data. Full node A node that stores complete blockchain data. Light node A node that stores only part of the blockchain data. Mining The process of verifying transactions and adding them to a blockchain. Hash A function that compresses a message of arbitrary length into a fixed-length message digest. Merkle tree A tree-like data structure used to efficiently verify and store data. State tree A Merkle tree that stores the status of all accounts. State root node The root node of the state tree, representing the state of the entire blockchain system. UTXO model The transaction model used by Bitcoin, based on unspent transaction outputs. Account/balance model The transaction model used by Ethereum, which tracks the balance of each account. Short Answer Question
Briefly describe the definition and main features of blockchain.
Answer: Blockchain is a decentralized distributed ledger technology that has the characteristics of decentralization, transparency, security, and immutability, and is used to record and verify transaction data.
Explain the difference between full nodes and light nodes, and give examples of their application scenarios.
Answer: Full nodes store complete blockchain data and are responsible for verifying transactions and blocks; light nodes only store part of the data and rely on full nodes for transaction verification. For example, Bitcoin miners use full nodes, while ordinary users use light nodes for transactions.
What is mining? What role does mining play in blockchain?
Answer: Mining is the process of verifying transactions and adding new blocks to the blockchain. Miners compete for the right to record accounts by solving complex mathematical problems, and receive block rewards and transaction fees, thereby maintaining the security and stability of the blockchain network.
Briefly describe the role of hash functions in blockchain.
Answer: Hash functions are used to convert block data of arbitrary length into a fixed-length hash value to ensure the integrity and uniqueness of the data. The blockchain uses hash functions to link each block together to form an unalterable chain.
Explain the difference between the UTXO model and the account/balance model.
A: The UTXO model is based on unspent transaction outputs, where each transaction consumes old UTXOs and creates new UTXOs, such as Bitcoin; while the account/balance model tracks the balance of each account, where each transaction updates the account balance, such as Ethereum.
What is a state tree? How does the state tree ensure the integrity of blockchain data?
A: A state tree is a Merkle tree that stores the status of all accounts, with each account status corresponding to a leaf node. The root node hash value of the state tree is stored in the block header, and any tampering with the state tree will change the root node hash value, thereby ensuring the integrity of the data.
Explain the role of the state root node in the blockchain.
A: The state root node is the root node of the state tree, representing the state of the entire blockchain system. Each block contains a state root node hash value, which is used to verify the integrity and validity of the block data.
Why is the blockchain difficult to tamper with?
A: Each block in the blockchain contains the hash value of the previous block, forming a chain structure. Any tampering with the block data will change its hash value, resulting in a broken link between subsequent blocks, so it is difficult to tamper with.
What is the core idea of the proposed parallel processing blockchain transaction method?
Answer: The patent proposes to group candidate transactions and create a state tree copy for each transaction group, then execute transactions in parallel and update the corresponding state tree copies, and finally merge the updated state tree copies to generate a new block, thereby improving transaction processing efficiency.
How does the proposed method improve the efficiency of blockchain transaction processing?
Answer: The method effectively utilizes the computing power of multi-core processors by processing multiple transaction groups in parallel, reduces the lock time of the state tree, and thus improves the transaction processing speed.
Paper title
Compare and contrast the UTXO model and the account/balance model, and discuss their advantages and disadvantages and applicable scenarios.
Explain the role of the Merkle tree in the blockchain and explain in detail how it ensures data integrity and improves data verification efficiency.
Analyze the proposed parallel processing blockchain transaction method, discuss its implementation details, advantages and disadvantages, and applicable scenarios.
Explore the application of blockchain technology in finance, supply chain management, healthcare and other fields, and analyze its advantages and challenges.
Study the future development trends of blockchain technology, such as Layer 2 expansion solutions, cross-chain technology, privacy protection technology, etc., and analyze their impact on the development of blockchain.