Ethereum: Is the number of transactions in Merkle Tree always «also»?
The Merkle tree of Ethereum is a data structure used to efficiently verify the integrity and authenticity of the blockchain transactions. It allows nodes to quickly identify if a certain block contains valid transactions or tampering with research through Merkle Tree for any inconsistencies.
According to the definition and structure of the Merkle tree, one of its key properties is that it must always have an equal number of transactions. This guarantees that each knot in the tree can be uniquely identified by a hash value that represents all transactions within that block.
In Ethereum, this property is crucial to maintaining the safety and integrity of the network. By applying this constraint on the number of transactions inserted in each structure of the market tree, the nodes can efficiently verify the validity of the blocks and ensure that the blockchain remains safe against tampering attempts.
However, there may be scenarios in which the number of transactions in a block does not follow this property. For example, if a knot should enter an odd number of transactions in its Merkle tree, it would imply that there are no valid or tampered transactions within that block, which could lead to inefficient verification processes.
In practice, most of the knots on the Ethereum network operates under this constraint when inserting new blocks into their Merkle trees. However, to further guarantee data integrity and prevent potential security problems, it is possible to use other measures such as the logic of the intelligent contract.
For example, some intelligent contracts use a mechanism called «proof of work based on hash» which does not require that all transactions in the block are present within the market tree. This approach allows the nodes to the network to efficiently check the validity of the blocks without having to eliminate every single transaction.
In conclusion, while it is generally considered that the number of transactions in the Merkle tree must always be «equal», there may be specific scenarios in which this property is not supported for reasons such as potential safety problems or inefficient verification processes. However, most of the nodes on the Ethereum network operates under these constraints when inserting new blocks in their Merkle trees.
Example of code ###
Solidity `
Pragma solidity ^0.8.0;
Merkletreetreexample contract {
// works to insert a block in the market tree
Inputblock function (block) public {
// Insert transactions in the block in the market tree
Merklerenode [] memory nodes = New Merkletrenode [] (Block.transactions.Length);
For (Uint256 i = 0; i
knots [i] = merklerenode (block.transactions [i] .hash, block.transactions [i]. Value);
}
// Check if the number of transactions is equal
request (nodes.length % 2 == 0, «The number of transactions in the block must be uniform.»);
// Insert the block into the market tree
For (Uint256 I = 0; i
Merklerenode Memory Node = knots [i];
If (! Node.isleaf ()) {
InputMerkleNode (Node.Hash, i);
}
}
EMATTI BLOCKISERTED (BLOCK.HASH, BLOCK.TRANSATIONS);
}
// work to recurs a single transaction in the market tree
InputmerkleNode function (hash, index) private {
// If this is the last transaction in the list, add it to the leaf node
If (Index == Nodes.Length — 1) {
knots.push (Merkletrenode (hash, index.value));
} other {
// Otherwise, insert recursively into the subordination rooted in this hash
Merklerenode Memory Parent = Nodes [index + 1];
Merklerenodode Memory Child = Nodes [Index];
If (parent.