What does the burn function does in the Ethereum smart contract code ?

[Joyjit]

Can anyone please explain what is the burn function ? How it can be initiated or used ? 

[bob123]

Can anyone please explain what is the burn function ? How it can be initiated or used ? 

A 'burn function' burns (destroys) coins/tokens.
'Destroying' coins is done by sending them to an address noone has an corresponding private key to.
The hardest part of doing this is to prove noone has the private key. Therefore preferably something which is obviously not a random address (but still is a valid one!).

[Joyjit]

Thank you for the explanation. Can anyone destroy these tokens ? Or only the contract creator has the right to do so ? Is there any wallet generator for such addresses that none has the private key to ?

[BitcoinGuruOne]

Can anyone please explain what is the burn function ? How it can be initiated or used ? 

A 'burn function' burns (destroys) coins/tokens.
'Destroying' coins is done by sending them to an address noone has an corresponding private key to.
The hardest part of doing this is to prove noone has the private key. Therefore preferably something which is obviously not a random address (but still is a valid one!).

there is multiple ways to burn. one of them is the one you mentioned - you create address and destroy private key, but another - you can just send them to this default address: 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000

[cryptomarijuana]

Can anyone please explain what is the burn function ? How it can be initiated or used ? 

A 'burn function' burns (destroys) coins/tokens.
'Destroying' coins is done by sending them to an address noone has an corresponding private key to.
The hardest part of doing this is to prove noone has the private key. Therefore preferably something which is obviously not a random address (but still is a valid one!).

there is multiple ways to burn. one of them is the one you mentioned - you create address and destroy private key, but another - you can just send them to this default address: 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Yeah that would be more transparent when they send it to the default address,because if these coin developers has sent those random wallet we cannot be sure that they dont have the private keys,so it is better to send it to the default address,so there will be no questions from the users or holders of that coin,also coin burning should result coin's value improvement.

[bob123]

there is multiple ways to burn. one of them is the one you mentioned - you create address and destroy private key, but another - you can just send them to this default address: 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Yeah that would be more transparent when they send it to the default address,because if these coin developers has sent those random wallet we cannot be sure that they dont have the private keys

Actually i never mentioned creating a random wallet and 'destroying' the private key. I wouln't call that 'burning' coins.
That would require trust. In my eyes thats more of a planned scam than real (proofed) burning.

There might not always be a 'default' address (0x00..0) you can choose from, depending on the currency.
But there are still ways to either choose an obvious burning address or mathematically prove that there is no private key for a specific (valid) address.

For further information: https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/1851/how-to-generate-a-valid-bitcoin-address-for-destroying-bitcoins