Divisor class group and canonical class of determinantal rings defined by ideals of minors of a symmetric matrix (Q1337772)

Let \(K\) be a field and let \(X = (X_{ij})\) be an \(n \times n\) symmetric matrix of indeterminates over \(K\). Given a sequence of integers \(1 \leq \alpha_ 1 < \cdots < \alpha_ r \leq n\), one considers the ideal \(I_ \alpha (X)\) generated by all \(i\)-minors of the first \(\alpha_ i-1\) rows of \(X\), for \(i=1, \dots,r\), and by all the \((r+1)\)-minors of \(X\). Denote by \(R_ \alpha (X)\) the ring \(K[X]/I_ \alpha (X)\). If \(\alpha = 1, \dots, t - 1\), then \(I_ \alpha (X)\) is the ideal generated by all the \(t\)-minors of \(X\). By results of \textit{R. E. Kutz} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 194, 115-129 (1974; Zbl 0288.13004)] the ring \(R_ \alpha (X)\) is known to be a Cohen-Macaulay domain. The author exploits a method developed by \textit{W. Bruns} and \textit{U. Vetter} in the book ``Determinantal rings'' [Lect. Notes Math. 1327 (1988; Zbl 0673.13006)] to show that the rings \(R_ \alpha (X)\) are normal domains, to determine the divisor class group and the canonical class. Then the Gorenstein rings among the rings \(R_ \alpha (X)\) are characterized in terms of the sequence \(\alpha\). These results extend previous results of \textit{S. Goto} [see J. Math. Kyoto Univ. 17, 47-50 (1977; Zbl 0368.13015) and 19, 371-374 (1979; Zbl 0418.13008)].