/ 
Crypt-PBC-0.7.20.0-0.4.9
River stage one • 1 direct dependent • 1 total dependent
/ Crypt::PBC::Element

NAME

Crypt::PBC::Element - OO interface for the Stanford PBC library

SYNOPSIS

use Crypt::PBC;

my $pairing = new Crypt::PBC("params_d.txt");
my $G1      = $pairing->init_G1->random;
my $G2      = $pairing->init_G2->random->double->square;
my $GT      = $pairing->init_GT->pairing_apply( $G1, $G2 );

Overview

Throughout the entire OO interface I have attempted to be consistant that the Element return itself where it isn't immediately obvious that some other thing should be returned instead.

my $x = $pairing->init_G1;  # $x is an element
   $x->random;              # randomize the element.
   $x->set0;                # set element to 0
   $x->set_to_hash("lol!"); # set element to lol ...

# All the above can instead be written as:
my $x = $pairing->init_G1->random->set0->set_to_hash("lol!");

However, functions that return something else ... dont' return elements. $string (below) is a MIME encoded string, not an element.

my $string = $x->as_base64;

For more help seting up a new Pairing, see the Crypt::PBC manpage (under new).

Best of all, you do not need to keep track of which elements need to be cleared when using the OO interface. Crypt::PBC::Pairing and Crypt::PBC::Element keep track of which elements and pairings need to be cleared in the DESTROY method. If you overload DESTROY, be sure to call SUPER::DESTROY()!

Assignment Functions

my $x = $pairing->init_G1;

   $x->set0; # sets the element to 0
   $x->set1; # sets the element to 1

my $y = $pairing->init_Zr->set_to_int( 19 ); # set a new element to 19

my $i = new Math::Bigint( 25 );
my $z = $pairing->init_Zr->set_to_bigint( $i ):
 # $z is now the bigint 25 ah, magic.

$z->random; # ruin the bigint and replace with boring random bytes

$y->set_to_hash("Poru Mira"); 
  # Set $element based on the bytes "Poru Mira".

You must use some kind of hashing algorithm (e.g., Digest::SHA1) to map data to an element. "In general you cannot feed it plaintext. You should only give it short strings of bytes (e.g. 160 bits if G1 has order around 2^160, which is the case for most of the bundled pairing parameters)." -- Lynn

my $a = $pairing->init_G1->random;
my $b = $pairing->init_G1->set( $a );

The above makes a new G1 element ($a), sets it to random, then makes another G1 ($b) and sets it to the random value of element $a. The following is probably more clear and is identical to the functions above. There's more on clone later in this document.

my $c = $a->clone;
print "You see this I bet!\n" if $c->is_eq( $a ) and $c->is_eq( $b );

This will come in handing when transfering keys between nodes.

my $d_i_a = $pairing->init_G1->random;
my $bytes = $d_i->as_bytes;
my $d_i_b = $pairing->init_G1->set_to_bytes( $bytes );

Comparison Functions

my $z = $pairing->init_G1->random;
my $y = $pairing->init_G1->random;

print "I say yes here!\n"  if $z->set0->is0;
print "I say yes here!\n"  if $z->set1->is1;
print "I say nothing...\n" if $z->set1->is0;

print "This is pretty much always true... unless we're in GT\n" 
    $z->is_eq( $z );

print "This is usually not going to print anything...\n"
    $z->random->is_eq( $y->random );

my $m = $pairing->init_Zr;
print "I say yes here.\n"  if $m->set_to_int(25)->is_sqr;
print "I say nothing...\n" if $m->set_to_int(19)->is_sqr;

Arithmetic Functions

These no-argument functions are rather self explainatory. The only thing that's not immediately clear is that $Zr is set to the value of the operation. These all return $Zr, of course. Also, these operations work on elements in G1, G2, and GT -- although that's not pictured.

my $Zr = $pairing->init_Zr;

$Zr->square; # $Zr = $Zr * $Zr;
$Zr->double; # $Zr = $Zr + $Zr
$Zr->invert; # $Zr = 1/$Zr
$Zr->halve;  # $Zr = $Zr/2
$Zr->neg;    # $Zr = -$Zr

All the the functions above will work with arguments instead. The following examples are logically equivelent, but the shorter form is probably also a great deal faster.

$Zr->set( $a )->halve;
$Zr->halve( $a );

$Zr->square( $a );
$Zr->set( $a )->square;

The following one-argument functions are probably just as clear as the ones above. The seting of Zr is implicit as it is above and, as above, the operations work in G1, G2, and GT. Watch out though, for these, the element types on the LHS must match the RHS. Crypt::PBC::Element will croak() an error if the types don't match.

my $Zr2 = $pairing->init_Zr->random;

$Zr->add( $Zr2 ); # Zr = Zr + Zr2
$Zr->Sub( $Zr2 ); # Zr = Zr - Zr2 -- note the capital S
$Zr->div( $Zr2 ); # Zr = Zr / Zr2
$Zr->mul( $Zr2 ); # Zr = Zr * Zr2

All the the functions above will work with another argument instead. The following example is logically equivelent, but the shorter form is probably also a great deal faster.

$Zr->div( $a, $Zr2 );        # Zr = $a/$Zr2
$Zr->set( $a )->div( $Zr2 ); # Zr = $Zr/$Zr2

There are two more multiplication functions to choose from. They take perl integers and Math::BigInt objects.

my $a = $Zr->set_to_int(7)->mul_int( 5 )->clone;
my $b = $Zr->set_to_int(7)->mul_bigint( new Math::BigInt( 5 ) )->clone;

# here, $a and $b will test equal with $a->is_eq( $b )

Assume all the following variables are elements in the indicated groups. Beware that the RHS-a elements must all be the same type as the LHS element. The RHS-n arguments must all be of elements in Zr. Crypt::PBC::Element will croak() an error if the arguments are of the wrong types.

$G1_l->pow_zn( $Zr_n ); # G1_l = G1_l^Zr_n
$G1_l->pow_zn( $G1_a, $Zr_n ); # G1_l = G1_a^Zr_n

$G1_l->pow2_zn( $G1_a1, $Zr_n1, $G1_a2, $Zr_n2 ); # l = a1^n1 * a2^n2
$G1_l->pow3_zn( $G1_a1, $Zr_n1, $G1_a2, $Zr_n2, $G1_a3, $Zr_n3 );
  # l = a1^n1 * a2^n2 * a3^n3

These functions are all pretty much the same, but they take bigints for the RHS-n arguments. They will all croak() if the LHS doesn't match the RHS-a or if the RHS-n arguments aren't Math::BigInt objects.

$G1_l->pow_bigint( $G1_a, $BI_n );
$G1_l->pow2_bigint( $G1_a1, $BI_n1, $G1_a2, $BI_n2 );
$G1_l->pow3_bigint( $G1_a1, $BI_n1, $G1_a2, $BI_n2, $G1_a3, $BI_n3 );

Arguably the most important arithmetic function of all is saved for last. The pairing_apply function is special, in that it has more restrictions on the LHS, RHS1 and RHS2 than most other functions. The LHS must be in GT, RHS1 must be in G1 and RHS2 must be in G2.

my $GT = $pairing->init_GT;
my $G1 = $pairing->init_G1;
my $G2 = $pairing->init_G2;

$GT->pairing_apply( $G1, $G2 ); 
$GT->apply_pairing( $G1, $G2 ); # synonym for pairing_apply
$GT->ehat(  $G1, $G2 );         # synonym for pairing_apply
$GT->e_hat( $G1, $G2 );         # synonym for pairing_apply

I/O, Export, and Conversion Functions

libpbc offers a va_args (printf) style output that's probably of limited use except for debugging. Crypt::PBC ports the fprintf() version directly and you can use it as incdicated in Crypt::PBC. The Crypt::PBC::Element module only uses fprintf() in the stddump and stddump() and errdump() and even then only in a limited capacity.

my $element = $pairing->init_G1;
print "Hey, these don't look like I thought they would:\n";

$element->stddump; # dumps the element on STDOUT

# You may be surprised to see that a G1 Element is in fact two MPZs.

$element->errdump; # dumps the element on STDERR instead of STDOUT

The following will be of major importance to anyone looking to use Crypt::PBC for real-life applications. as_bytes() almost certainly has to be used in conjunction with some other algorithm, but that is indeed what it is for.

my $secret_key_bin = $element->as_bytes;

my $example_cipher = new Crypt::CBC({
    header => "randomiv", 
    cipher => 'Blowfish'
    key    => $secret_key_bin,
});

my $secret = $example_cipher->encrypt("you can't read this!!");

There are, of course, other ways to export the bytes. The bigint exporter probably only works on Zr elements, but it probalby has uses.

my $key_hex = $element->as_hex;    # as_str is a synonym for as_hex
my $key_b64 = $element->as_base64; # MIME base64 as per RFC 2045
my $bigint  = $element->as_bigint; # Math::BigInt

Miscellaneous Functions

my $z = $pairing->init_Zr->random;
my $c = $z->clone;# creates a copy of $z in $c.
my $d = $z->copy; # copy is an alias for clone
# ($c is a new Element in new memory with the same value as $z)

AUTHOR AND LICENSING

GPL-ish and the XS author is Paul Miller jettero@cpan.org.

Please see Crypt::PBC for further information.