From eb2b67c58b138a735dcb00dec5565a12701bc734 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Christian Seberino Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2018 11:34:24 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] Added a glossary. --- docs/appendices/glossary.rst | 226 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ docs/appendices/index.rst | 1 + 2 files changed, 227 insertions(+) create mode 100755 docs/appendices/glossary.rst diff --git a/docs/appendices/glossary.rst b/docs/appendices/glossary.rst new file mode 100755 index 0000000..5dadb4a --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/appendices/glossary.rst @@ -0,0 +1,226 @@ +.. _app_glossary: + +Glossary +================================================================================ + +51% attack + attacks against blockchain systems that are possible if attackers control over half of the mining resources + +account + data structure associated with Ethereum Classic users and smart contracts + +address + unique numbers that identify blockchain accounts and are derived from the associated private keys + +ASIC + application specific integrated circuit, devices optimized for specific tasks such as blockchain mining + +block + sets of blockchain transactions and related logistical information + +block explorer + website presenting information about a blockchain + +block header + all the fields of Ethereum Classic blocks except the transaction and uncle header lists + +block propagation + distribution of copies of blocks throughout blockchain networks + +blockchain + linear arrays of blocks each of which met the requirements of the blockchain system + +bootstrap nodes + Ethereum Classic network computers that are always available and accepting of new connections from other network computers + +classic ether + the native cryptocurrency of Ethereum Classic, also referred to as ether + +coinbase + blockchain account that receives mining rewards + +compiler + programs that translate programs from one programming language to others + +consensus + agreements among blockchain miners regarding the selection of the official chain + +cryptocurrency + money systems implemented on blockchain systems + +daemon + autonomous software agents + +DAG + directed acyclic graph, used in the Ethereum Classic proof of work calculations + +dapp + applications that run on blockchain systems, also referred to as decentralized applications + +decentralization + the elimination of centralized control entities from software and network designs + +decentralized application + applications that run on blockchain systems, also referred to as dapps + +decentralized autonomous enterprise + sophisticated smart contracts that perform many of the functions of organizations + +difficulty + difficulty of a proof of work calculation in a blockchain system + +digital signature + strings associated with other strings that prove the creators has access to a private key + +digital signature + authentication mechanism in which text snippets appended to data establishing that the creator had access to the associated private key and did a calculation on the data with it, + +elliptic curve cryptography + type of cryptography typically used in blockchain public and private key systems + +encryption + a cryptographic process used to protect the privacy of information + +ether + the native cryptocurrency of Ethereum Classic, also referred to as classic ether + +event + requests in smart contracts to log some information + +EVM + Ethereum Virtual Machine + +exchange + place to buy and sell cryptocurrencies + +external account + one of the two types of Ethereum Classic accounts, used by external clients + +fast syncing + updating blockchain copies and downloading instead of calculating state information + +gas + units used to measure resource usage in the Ethereum Classic system + +gas limit + limits on the maximum possible of gas units, blocks for example have limit on the amount of gas all their transactions can require + +gas price + prices of gas units in classic ether + +genesis block + first blocks of blockchains + +GHOST + Greedy Heaviest Observed Subtree blockchain protocol + +hash + fixed length string calculated from another possibly much longer string with many uses such as confirming data integrity and naming objects + +hashrate + total mining capacity of a blockchain as measured by how fast hashes can be calculated + +hexadecimal + compact method of representing numbers involving numbers and letters, is especially used for big numbers + +IPC + interprocess communication, used to communicate between processes on a computer + +keyfile + file containing a private and public key pair, typically encrypted + +light client + blockchain client that submit that can utilize a blockchain but does not maintain a complete copy of the blochchain + +Merkle Patricia trie + data structures which represents key value pairs + +message + smart contract account requests to other smart contract accounts, may transfer funds as well as invoke or create smart contracts + +mining + process of creating, verifying and distributing blocks in a blockchain + +mining pool + group of miners working together + +mining reward + new cryptocurrency tokens given to miners for performing mining + +node + computers in a network such as a blockchain network + +node discovery + process of finding other nodes in a network such as blockchain network + +nonce + numbers used once (Number ONCE) for various purposes in blockchain systems such as proof of work calculations and preventing replay attacks + +peer to peer network + decentralized network without a centralized control entity + +private key + secret numbers of blockchain accounts used to authorize transactions from it + +proof of work + results of difficult calculations in some blockchain systems used to increase security + +protocol + set of rules to accomplish something like a process in a blockchain system + +public key + pairs of numbers derived from the private keys of blockchain accounts used to identify blockchain accounts and determine account addresses + +receipt + transaction logs + +RPC + remote procedure call, used to invoke code on the same or different computers + +serialization + process of converting a data structure into a linear array of bits + +Serpent + high level smart contract language which is similar to Python + +sharding + mechanism to increase the scalability of blockchain systems by dividing blockchains into subsets (shards) managed by different parts of the network + +sidechain + blockchain that is associated with but still separate from another blockchain + +smart contract + autonomous software agents such as software running on blockchains + +Solidity + high level smart contract language which is similar to Javascript + +state + in Ethereum Classic, all account information for all accounts at some point in time + +syncing + updating blockchain copies + +transaction + external account requests to the Ethereum Classic system, may transfer funds as well as invoke or create smart contracts + +transaction fee + gas costs to execute transactions + +trustless + property of public blockchain system whereby no entity has special permissions + +uncle + losing blocks in mining contests that are used to increase the security of blockchain systems + +virtual machine + computing resource implemented in software + +Vyper + high level smart contract language which is similar to Python + +wallet + set of public and private keys, may also refer to other associated information and software + +web 3 + name that refers to the vision of a more secure, trustless blockchain based World Wide Web replacement diff --git a/docs/appendices/index.rst b/docs/appendices/index.rst index cebdf0d..c6bace6 100755 --- a/docs/appendices/index.rst +++ b/docs/appendices/index.rst @@ -14,3 +14,4 @@ blank code_is_law_principle crypto_decen_man dec_of_ind + glossary