A Merkle tree, named after its inventor Ralph Merkle, is a data structure used in computer science and cryptography to efficiently verify the integrity and authenticity of large sets of data. It works by recursively hashing pairs of data elements until a single root hash is obtained, known as the Merkle root. Each level of the tree combines the hashes of the underlying data, creating a hierarchical structure. By comparing the Merkle root with a trusted source, one can easily confirm if any data within the tree has been tampered with. Merkle trees are widely used in blockchain systems to validate the consistency of transactions and efficiently verify the integrity of large datasets without the need to check each individual element.
