Stwo As a Universal AIR Prover/Verifier

Stwo is designed as a universal framework for proving and verifying Algebraic Intermediate Representations (AIRs). This chapter explains how Stwo serves as a foundation for various zero-knowledge proof applications.

Universal AIR Framework

Stwo provides a flexible framework that allows developers to:

• Define custom AIRs for specific computational tasks
• Leverage optimized proving mechanisms
• Utilize efficient lookup tables
• Compose multiple AIRs together

Core Components

The universal AIR framework consists of:

1. AIR Definition Layer

   • Custom constraint systems
   • Trace generation
   • Polynomial commitments

2. Proving Layer

   • Circle STARK proving system
   • Efficient Mersenne31 field operations
   • Lookup table optimizations

3. Verification Layer