Circom Bootcamp
In the RareSkills Applied ZK Bootcamp you will learn how to code applications using ZK circuits, specifically with Circom.
Overview
In the RareSkills Applied ZK Bootcamp you will learn how to code applications using ZK circuits, specifically with Circom. Specifically, you will:
- Learn how to create a ZKVM (Zero Knowledge Virtual Machine) from scratch
- Learn how to create a zero knowledge proof of the preimage of a cryptographic hash function
- Learn the common design patterns for ZK
Although we focus on Circom in this course, the knowledge gained generalizes to other ZK DSLs (design specific langauges) such as o1js, Halo2, Gnark, and Plonky3.
Prerequisites
Hash functions and Merkle Trees
Virtual machines
Bitwise arithmetic and bit manipulation
Sorting algorithms
Data structures such as stacks and arrays
We strongly suggest that you take the foundational ZK bootcamp before this. However, if you fully understand the first three chapters of the ZK Book as well as Rank 1 Constraint Systems, then you are ready to take this course.
This course is targeted to senior engineers (3+ years of professional programming experience). We assume familiarity with the following topics:
Circom Bootcamp syllabus
Each week there will be 2 classes of one hour each and a homework assignment. Although these are recorded, you should not miss them because they are designed to be very interactive. There is an additional 30 minute of office hours for students to review homework and ask questions. Students on the premium plan can set up weekly 1-1 meetings with the instructor.
Please budget 5 hours of study per week for the course.
Week 1
Introduction to Circom syntax part 1
Circom syntax part 2
Week 2
Num2Bits and Bits2Num
32-bit emulation in ZK
Week 3
Hacking underconstrained circuits
Compute then constrain
Week 4
Conditional operators and linear search
Sequential computations in ZK
Week 5
ZK Sort algorithm
Emulating a stack
Week 6
Building a ZK VM
Building a ZK hash function
Week 7
ZK-friendly hashes
Permutation Argument and Nullifiers
Your Instructor
Jeffrey Scholz
Jeffrey Scholz, founder of RareSkills, was Yahoo’s youngest senior engineering manager, building its video machine learning team and earning two AI patents. His work at RareSkills has helped 100s of engineers land roles at top blockchain companies, and the author of the popular The RareSkills Book of ZK. He holds a Master's degree in computational theory from Columbia University.
Circom Bootcamp Pricing
Standard
$3,000
/ Upfront$1,750 × 2
/ Monthly- 7 × Weekly Live Classes
- Tailored Homework
- Access to the RareSkills Slack and Discord Community (Lifetime Access)
Premium
$5,500
/ Upfront$3,000 × 2
/ Monthly- Everything in Starter Tier
- 7 × Individual Code Review and Mentoring Sessions
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