renepickhardt / the-lightning-network-book Goto Github PK

Hello Rene,

I would like to contribute. I added some content to the https://lightningwiki.net wiki. I also already added your effort to create this book there in order to give it a shout-out.

As first step to help with this book I might offer to write an initial draft of a "Resource List" chapter for the appendix.

Would that be helpful? If you give the OK, I could start with that.

Awaiting your response ...

It should concentrate in lightning network, this is the reason why others read this book with title "The lightning network book".

I wasn't sure what format you wanted to go with so I didn't change it. Some of the section headings are in title case (e.g. The Headings are Like This), and others are not (e.g. The headings are like this).

Please use microtype (\usepackage{microtype}). The weird jutting-out in the margins is killing my eyes! ;)

LN stuff he has written on-reddit:

Channel factories: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/aci0zt/can_we_expect_to_see_solutions_where_new_users/edagfge/

Intuitive comparison of offchain to out-of-court settlements: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/a5ap0c/how_much_can_off_chain_solutions_help_scaling/edcr4ar/

Payment channels are Satoshi's Vision: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/a9dhtu/why_transaction_malleability_is_a_problem/eckkmhf/

Neutrino: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/a0r7o7/what_is_neutrino_and_what_advantages_and/eak7y70/

Limited blocksize is the solution to mass breach attacks: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/7dcbfa/can_anyone_expound_on_vitaliks_reply_i_assume_hes/dpwpt1g/

Not LN but fun: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/744efu/why_does_every_rbtc_title_talk_about_trolls/dnvryfw/

Question in issue title. I looked at the draft, and it doesn't seem very focused. It covers basic things within Bitcoin, and then attempts to jump straight from that to more advanced topics, many of which are still in flux and under-researched.

The part about someone with 51% of the hashrate being able to change the data is not clear/true. They can change current blocks to censor or double-spend transactions, but they can't go back through the blockchain and change old data using 51%.

I have put three main properties of asymmetric cryptographic systems in the second section of the book.

1. Asymmetry: The public key can be derived from the private one
2. Encryption: the public key can be used for encrypted messages which can be decrypted with the private key
3. Signatures: private keys can produce signatures which can be verified with the public key

I have just realized that in ECDSA the second property hardly plays a role. There is only a DH key exchange to produce a symmetric key which can be used for de- and encryption.

I think explaining diffie hellman does not make sense in the beginning sections and for lightning I only need it if I go down all the way with the sphinx mix format.

Have you considered to allow collaborative work on translations of the book? I think it can be an ongoing parallel process, would love to contribute to Hebrew and Russian translations

I've noticed a few different uses of Bitcoin throughout the book so far as unit of value (e.g. "how many Bitcoins" and "how much Bitcoin"). At one point I changed it to BTC to clear it up, but that introduces an inconsistency as well.

I propose that you use 'satoshis' as the unit of value instead of 'Bitcoin' because a) that is the real unit that the protocol uses, and b) it is clear with no ambiguity.

I really like your idea of going from problem to solution all the time. I am wondering if it might make sense to introduce at least some actual historical predecessors to bitcoin together with the problems they solve or don't solve. E.g.

1. digital cash by Chaum in the early nineties - works, anonymous, but centralized - Chaum is an egotistical maniac, so the company disappears.
2. rpow
3. b-money
4. bit-gold
   etc. See, e.g. Aaron van Wirdum's "The Genesis Files" series on bitcoin magazine for pointers.