Representations of matroids and free resolutions for multigraded modules

Let k be a field, let R=k[x₁,…,xm] be a polynomial ring with the standard Zm-grading (multigrading), let L be a Noetherian multigraded R-module, and let be a finite free multigraded presentation of L over R. Given a choice S of a multihomogeneous basis of E, we construct an explicit canonical finite free multigraded resolution T_•(Φ,S) of the R-module L. In the case of monomial ideals our construction recovers the Taylor resolution. A main ingredient of our work is a new linear algebra construction of independent interest, which produces from a representation ? over k of a matroid M a canonical finite complex of finite dimensional k-vector spaces T_•(?) that is a resolution of Ker?. We also show that the length of T_•(?) and the dimensions of its components are combinatorial invariants of the matroid M, and are independent of the representation map ?.     

On questions related to saturated chains of primes in polynomial rings

We propose to give positive answers to the open questions: is R(X,Y) strong S when R(X) is strong S? is R stably strong S (resp., universally catenary) when R[X] is strong S (resp., catenary)? in case R is obtained by a (T,I,D) construction. The importance of these results is due to the fact that this type of ring is the principal source of counterexamples. Moreover, we give an answer to the open questions: is R〈X₁,…,X_n〉 residually Jaffard (resp., totally Jaffard) when R(X₁,…,X_n) is ? We construct a three-dimensional local ring R such that R(X₁,…,X_n) is totally Jaffard (and hence, residually Jaffard) whereas R〈X₁,…,X_n〉 is not residually Jaffard (and hence, not totally Jaffard).     

Minimal free resolution of the associated graded ring of monomial curves of generalized arithmetic sequences

Let A(C) be the coordinate ring of a monomial curve C⊆Aⁿ corresponding to the numerical semigroup S minimally generated by a sequence a₀,…,a_n. In the literature, little is known about the Betti numbers of the corresponding associated graded ring gr_m(A) with respect to the maximal ideal m of A=A(C). In this paper we characterize the numerical invariants of a minimal free resolution of gr_m(A) in the case a₀,…,a_n is a generalized arithmetic sequence.     

Universally catenarian and going-down pairs of rings

For a ring extension is called a universally catenarian pair if every domain , is universally catenarian. When R is a field it is shown that the only universally catenarian pairs are those satisfying . For several satisfactory results are given. The second purpose of this paper is to study going-down pairs (Definition 5.1). We characterize these pairs of rings and we establish a relationship between universally catenarian, going-down and residually algebraic pairs. Received: 1 July 1999; in final form: 5 June 2000 / Published online: 17 May 2001     

Intermediary rings in normal pairs

We establish in this paper a result that gives the number of intermediary rings between R and S where (R,S) is a normal pair of rings. This result answers in particular a question which was left open in [A. Jaballah, Finiteness of the set of intermediary rings in a normal pair, Saintama Math. J. 17 (1999) 59-61]. Further applications are also given.     

About the spectrum of Nagata rings

In this paper, we deal with the Nagata ring R(n) in case R is obtained by a (T, I, D) construction. We characterize when R(n) is a strong S-domain and catenarian. This study allows us to provide several interesting applications and examples.     

Rings of matrix invariants in positive characteristic

Denote by R_n,m the ring of invariants of m-tuples of n×n matrices (m,n?2) over an infinite base field K under the simultaneous conjugation action of the general linear group. When char(K)=0, Razmyslov (Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR Ser. Mat. 38 (1974) 723) and Procesi (Adv. Math. 19 (1976) 306) established a connection between the Nagata-Higman theorem and the degree bound for generators of R_n,m. We extend this relationship to the case when the base field has positive characteristic. In particular, we show that if 0<char(K))?n, then R_n,m is not generated by its elements whose degree is smaller than m. A minimal system of generators of R_2,m is determined for the case char(K)=2: it consists of 2^m+m−1 elements, and the maximum of their degrees is m. We deduce a consequence indicating that the theory of vector invariants of the special orthogonal group in characteristic 2 is not analogous to the case char(K)≠2. We prove that the characterization of the R_n,m that are complete intersections, known before when char(K)=0, is valid for any infinite K. We give a Cohen-Macaulay presentation of R_2,4, and analyze the difference between the cases char(K)=2 and char(K)≠2.     

An algorithm for computing the number of intermediary rings in normal pairs

The main purpose of this paper is to establish a result giving the number of intermediary rings between R and S when (R,S) is a normal pair of rings and to provide an algorithm to compute this number.     

Strongly irreducible ideals of a commutative ring

An ideal I of a ring R is said to be strongly irreducible if for ideals J and K of R, the inclusion J∩K⊆I implies that either J⊆I or K⊆I. The relationship among the families of irreducible ideals, strongly irreducible ideals, and prime ideals of a commutative ring R is considered, and a characterization is given of the Noetherian rings which contain a non-prime strongly irreducible ideal.     

THE REGULARITY DEGREE AND EPIMORPHISMS IN THE CATEGORY OF COMMUTATIVE RINGS

Elements of the universal (von Neumann) regular ring T(R) of a commutative semiprime ring R can be expressed as a sum of products of elements of R and quasi-inverses of elements of R. The maximum number of terms required is called the regularity degree, an invariant for R measuring how R sits in T(R). It is bounded below by 1 plus the Krull dimension of R. For rings with finitely many primes and integral extensions of noetherian rings of dimension 1, this number is precisely the regularity degree.

For each n ≥ 1, one can find a ring of regularity degree n + 1. This shows that an infinite product of epimorphisms in the category of commutative rings need not be an epimorphism.

Finite upper bounds for the regularity degree are found for noetherian rings R of finite dimension using the Wiegand dimension theory for Patch R. These bounds apply to integral extensions of such rings as well.     

Characterization of the absence of a spectral gapfor a class of periodic Jacobi operators

Let q ∈ {2, 3} and let 0 = s₀ < s₁ < … < s_q = T be integers. For m, n ∈ Z, we put ¯m,n = {j ∈ Z| m? j ? n}. We set l_j = s_j − s_j−1 for j ∈ 1, q. Given (p₁,, p_q) ∈ R^q, let b: Z → R be a periodic function of period T such that b(·) = p_j on s_j−1 + 1, s_j for each j ∈ 1, q. We study the spectral gaps of the Jacobi operator (Ju)(n) = u(n + 1) + u(n − 1) + b(n)u(n) acting on l²(Z). By [λ_2j , λ_2j−1] we denote the jth band of the spectrum of J counted from above for j ∈ 1, T. Suppose that p_m ≠ p_n for m ≠ n. We prove that the statements (i) and (ii) below are equivalent for λ ∈ R and i ∈ 1, T − 1.     

A semialgebraic closure for commutative algebra

Let A⊂R be rings containing the rationals. In R let S be a multiplicatively closed subset such that 1∈S and 0∉S, T a preorder of R (a proper subsemiring containing the squares) such that S⊂T and I an A-submodule of R. Define ρ(I) (or ρ_S,T(I)) to be

ρ(I)={a∈R|sa^2m+t∈I^2m for some m∈N,s∈S and t∈T}.     

Elasticity Properties Preserved in the Normset

Let T⊆R be the rings of integers in a number field and a finite Galois extension field. We study relations between the elasticity ρ(R) of the monoid of nonzero elements of R and the elasticity ρ(S) of the monoid S of norms to T of those elements. We show ρ(R)?ρ(S) and that equality holds if the norms of irreducible elements of R are irreducible in S, which is true, in particular, if either ρ(R)<2 or ρ(S)=1.     

Prescribed subintegral extensions of local Noetherian domains

We show how subintegral extensions of certain local Noetherian domains S$S$ can be constructed with specified invariants including reduction number, Hilbert function, multiplicity and local cohomology. The construction behaves analytically like Nagata idealization but rather than a ring extension of S$S$, it produces a subring R$R$ of S$S$ such that R⊆S$R\subseteq S$ is subintegral.     

A note on bideterminants for Schur superalgebras

Let S(m|n,r)_Z be a Z-form of a Schur superalgebra S(m|n,r) generated by elements ξ_i,j. We solve a problem of Muir and describe a Z-form of a simple S(m|n,r)-module D_λ,Q over the field Q of rational numbers, under the action of S(m|n,r)_Z. This Z-form is the Z-span of modified bideterminants [T_?:T_i] defined in this work. We also prove that each [T_?:T_i] is a Z-linear combination of modified bideterminants corresponding to (m|n)-semistandard tableaux T_i.     

On the direct image of intersections in exact homological categories

Given a regular epimorphism f:X?Y in an exact homological category C, and a pair (U,V) of kernel subobjects of X, we show that the quotient (f(U)∩f(V))/f(U∩V) is always abelian. When C is nonpointed, i.e. only exact protomodular, the translation of the previous result is that, given any pair (R,S) of equivalence relations on X, the difference mappingδ:Y/f(R∩S)?Y/(f(R)∩f(S)) has an abelian kernel relation. This last result actually holds true in any exact Mal'cev category. Setting Y=X/T, this result says that the difference mapping determined by the inclusion T∪(R∩S)?(T∪R)∩(T∪S) has an abelian kernel relation, which casts a new light on the congruence distributive property.     

Degree functions and projectively full ideals in 2-dimensional rational singularities that can be desingularized by blowing up the unique maximal ideal

Let (R,m) be a 2-dimensional rational singularity with algebraically closed residue field and for which the associated graded ring is an integrally closed domain. According to Göhner, (R,m) satisfies condition (N): given a prime divisor v, there exists a unique complete m-primary ideal A_v in R with T(A_v)={v} and such that any complete m-primary ideal with unique Rees valuation v, is a power of A_v. We use the theory of degree functions developed by Rees and Sharp as well as some results about regular local rings, to investigate the degree coefficients d(A_v,v). As an immediate corollary, we find that for a simple complete m₁-primary ideal I₁ in an immediate quadratic transform (R₁,m₁) of (R,m); the inverse transform of I₁ in R is projectively full.     

On the multiplicity and the Cohen-Macaulayness of fiber cones of graded algebras

Let A be a Noetherian local ring with the maximal ideal m and an m-primary ideal J. Let S=?_n≥0S_n be a finitely generated standard graded algebra over A. Set S⁺=?_n>0S_n. Denote by F_J(S)=?_n≥0→(S_n/JS_n) the fiber cone of S with respect to J. The paper characterizes the multiplicity and the Cohen-Macaulayness of F_J(S) in terms of minimal reductions of S⁺.     

Mod 2 indecomposable orthogonal invariants

Over an algebraically closed base field k of characteristic 2, the ring R^G of invariants is studied, G being the orthogonal group O(n) or the special orthogonal group SO(n) and acting naturally on the coordinate ring R of the m-fold direct sum kⁿ⊕?⊕kⁿ of the standard vector representation. It is proved for O(n) (n?2) and for SO(n) (n?3) that there exist m-linear invariants with m arbitrarily large that are indecomposable (i.e., not expressible as polynomials in invariants of lower degree). In fact, they are explicitly constructed for all possible values of m. Indecomposability of corresponding invariants over immediately follows. The constructions rely on analysing the Pfaffian of the skew-symmetric matrix whose entries above the diagonal are the scalar products of the vector variables.     

Some stably tame polynomial automorphisms

We study the structure of length three polynomial automorphisms of R[X,Y] when R is a UFD. These results are used to prove that if SL_m(R[X₁,X₂,…,X_n])=E_m(R[X₁,X₂,…,X_n]) for all n≥0 and for all m≥3 then all length three polynomial automorphisms of R[X,Y] are stably tame.