Glue and coprocessor architectures

The Nugget

The evolving glue and coprocessor architecture divides computations into high-level "business logic" and low-level high-efficiency operations, optimizing efficiency and generality in ways that highlight the importance of each component's strengths.

Make it stick

🔗 Glue provides generality and simplicity while coprocessors handle specific, intensive computations.
💻 In Ethereum, the EVM serves as the glue while dedicated opcodes tackle the heavy lifting.
⚙️ AI code leverages Python for business logic but relies on CUDA or ASICs for performance-heavy matrix operations.
🔒 In cryptography, specialized modules efficiently handle structured computations alongside higher-level glue logic.

Modern computation separates into two roles:
- Glue: General, high-level logic (e.g., Python, EVM).
- Coprocessors: Optimized, low-level operations (e.g., CUDA, ASICs).
Examples:
- Ethereum: EVM handles general business logic; storage and cryptographic ops are optimized.
- AI: Python for defining algorithms; number-crunching delegated to GPUs and ASICs.

The necessity for specialization increases because:
- Parallelization gains are prioritized due to CPU limitations.
- Business logic calculations have become negligible in cost.
- Clear identification of expensive operations guides optimization efforts.
Practical Implications:
- VMs, like EVM, should focus on developer familiarity rather than raw efficiency.
- Effective use of coprocessor modules (e.g., precompiles) can significantly enhance performance.

In secure computing:
- Open-source projects like RISC-V are facing challenges against proprietary chips.
- A mixed approach using efficient ASICS for intensive tasks alongside secure main chip operations is suggested.
Cryptographic applications benefit through:
- Modular implementations of expensive computations built alongside more general virtual machines.
- Optimized functionality in SNARKs and other cryptographic systems promising efficiency.

Enhanced collaboration across domains will enable:
- Smaller entities participating without significant barriers to entry.
- Improved efficiencies and accessibility in ZK-proving and metadata optimization.

"Modern computation is increasingly following what I call a glue and coprocessor architecture."
"Glue should optimize for being good glue, and coprocessors should optimize for being good coprocessors."
"The drive for efficiency does not compromise other values, most notably security, openness, and simplicity."
"This trend presents an opportunity for smaller and newer players to participate."
"It creates a large window of opportunity to ensure that the drive for efficiency does not compromise other values."

This summary contains AI-generated information and may be misleading or incorrect.