Abstract
Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) is a cryptographic scheme that enables
computations to be performed directly on encrypted data, as if the data were in
plaintext. After all computations are performed on the encrypted data, it can
be decrypted to reveal the result. The decrypted value matches the result that
would have been obtained if the same computations were applied to the plaintext
data.
FHE supports basic operations such as addition and multiplication on
encrypted numbers. Using these fundamental operations, more complex
computations can be constructed, including subtraction, division, logic gates
(e.g., AND, OR, XOR, NAND, MUX), and even advanced mathematical functions such
as ReLU, sigmoid, and trigonometric functions (e.g., sin, cos). These functions
can be implemented either as exact formulas or as approximations, depending on
the trade-off between computational efficiency and accuracy.
FHE enables privacy-preserving machine learning by allowing a server to
process the client's data in its encrypted form through an ML model. With FHE,
the server learns neither the plaintext version of the input features nor the
inference results. Only the client, using their secret key, can decrypt and
access the results at the end of the service protocol. FHE can also be applied
to confidential blockchain services, ensuring that sensitive data in smart
contracts remains encrypted and confidential while maintaining the transparency
and integrity of the execution process. Other applications of FHE include
secure outsourcing of data analytics, encrypted database queries,
privacy-preserving searches, efficient multi-party computation for digital
signatures, and more.
As this book is an open project (https://fhetextbook.github.io), we welcome
FHE experts to join us as collaborators to help expand the draft.