What Is the “Byzantine Generals Problem” That pBFT Aims to Solve?
The Byzantine Generals Problem is a thought experiment illustrating the difficulty of achieving consensus among decentralized parties where some may be malicious or unreliable (traitors). Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (pBFT) is a class of consensus algorithms designed to allow a network to function correctly and reach consensus even if a minority (typically less than one-third) of its nodes are faulty or malicious.
It ensures all honest nodes agree on the same state.
Glossar
Honest Nodes
Verification ⎊ Honest Nodes, within decentralized systems, represent participants actively engaged in validating transactions and maintaining network consensus, crucial for ensuring data integrity and preventing malicious activity.
Byzantine Generals Problem
Challenge ⎊ The Byzantine Generals Problem describes a fundamental challenge in distributed computing where multiple actors must agree on a single course of action, even if some actors are unreliable or malicious.
Decentralized Parties
Party ⎊ Decentralized parties, within the context of cryptocurrency, options trading, and financial derivatives, represent autonomous entities operating without traditional intermediaries.
Consensus Algorithms
Validation ⎊ Consensus algorithms, within decentralized systems, establish agreement on a single state of data despite the presence of potentially adversarial participants.
Achieving Consensus
Consensus ⎊ In distributed ledger technology, achieving consensus represents the critical process where disparate nodes agree on the single, true state of the blockchain, validating transactions and block order.
Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance
Consensus ⎊ Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance represents a pivotal advancement in distributed systems, enabling agreement among nodes even when some exhibit faulty or malicious behavior.