[Cryptography] Clarification on the Web4 model (state, Δ-updates, and crypto inputs)

[nouun]

Hi all,

Some readers, including Peter Fairbrother, asked for more clarity on the internal mechanism of the Web4 model.
Below is a short clarification that focuses only on the core mechanics in plain text.

1. What the “state vector” actually is

Web4 maintains a single instantaneous state, not a ledger and not a history.
Each node keeps a vector of imbalances (Δ-values).
These values always sum to zero.
There is no record, no ordering, and nothing persists except the current state.

2. What a “Δ-update” really does

A transaction is simply a modification of two components of the state:

A sends value v → ΔA decreases by v

B receives value v → ΔB increases by v

The result is a candidate state.
The system checks a PDE-based consistency condition:
the new state must lie in the nullspace of the Laplacian operator (Lx= 0).
If the update violates this physical constraint, it is rejected.
No history is used.

3. What the cryptographic stack actually operates on

All cryptography operates on the update proposal, not on any stored ledger:

A proposes a Δ-update

A proves (via multivariate signatures + ZK) that the update is valid

The message contains no identity, no timestamps, no ordering

XChaCha20 and SHA-3 enforce confidentiality and integrity

Peers accept the update only if both the cryptographic proof and the PDE condition hold

Thus the model works without consensus, history, or global logs.

Conclusion

The model is not based on a permanent record, but on a continuously constrained state.
The PDE condition and the cryptographic proof together define what is considered a valid update.

Happy to answer further questions.