Syzygies of multiplier ideals on singular varieties (Q841550)

It was independently proven in [\textit{C. Favre, M. Jonsson}, J. Am. Math. Soc. 18, No. 3, 655--684 (2005; Zbl 1075.14001)] and [\textit{J. Lipman, K.-i. Watanabe}, Math. Res. Lett. 10, No. 4, 423--434 (2003; Zbl 1049.13003)] that every integrally closed ideal \(\mathcal I \subseteq \mathcal O_X\) on a smooth complex surface \(X\) can be realized as the multiplier ideal \({\mathcal I} = {\mathcal J}(X,{\mathfrak b}^\lambda)\) for some ideal \({\mathfrak b} \subseteq \mathcal O_X\) and some positive rational number \(\lambda\). If however \(X\) has dimension \(d \geq 3\), the situation is quite different. In this regard, it was discovered by the first two authors [Invent. Math. 167, No. 2, 409--418 (2007; Zbl 1114.13013)] that the sygyzies of \(\mathcal I\) provide an obstruction for the ideal to be a multiplier ideal. Specifically, it turns out that if \(\mathcal I\) can be written, locally at some point \(x \in X\), as a multiplier ideal, then for every \(p \geq 1\) no minimal \(p\)-th sygyzy of \(\mathcal I\) vanishes modulo \({\mathfrak m}_x^{d+1-p}\) at \(x\). The present paper investigates the analogous question on singular varieties. Let \(X\) be a normal variety and \(\Delta\) be an effective \(\mathbb Q\)-divisor on \(X\) such that a positive multiple of \(K_X + \Delta\) is Cartier. One can then extend the notion of multiplier ideals by considering with the pair \((X,\Delta)\) in place of the variety \(X\). Working in this generality, the authors show that the order of vanishing (with respect to any parameter ideal at a point \(x\)) of the first sygyzy of an integrally closed ideal \(\mathcal I\) provides an obstruction to be, locally at \(x\), a multiplier ideal. One deduces for instance that if the pair \((X,\Delta)\) is Kawamata log terminal and \(\mathcal I\) is locally a multiplier ideal near \(x\), then no first sygyzy can vanish modulo \({\mathfrak m}^{2d-1}_x\).