Localization and test exponents for tight closure (Q5954564)

This paper is about the still open question whether tight closure commutes with localization. The authors defined tight closure [\textit{M. Hochster} and \textit{C. Huneke}, J. Am. Math. Soc. 3, 31-116 (1990; Zbl 0701.13002)], and have since developed its theory and applications in many subsequent papers. In this paper under review they revisit the localization problem. In section 2 the authors develop the notion of test exponents and prove some criteria for the commutation of tight closure and localization. In section 3 they prove, under some assumptions, that the existence of test exponents is equivalent to tight closure commuting with localization. They also establish other conditions for the commutation of tight closure and localization. For this they introduce four conditions (C1, C1*, C2, C2*) with which they give a different equivalent condition for the commutation of tight closure and localization. These four conditions are reminiscent of \textit{M. Katzman}'s conditions [Ill. J. Math. 40, 330-337 (1997; Zbl 0852.13003)], yet are different. In section 4 the authors tackle the localization problem via a Hilbert-Kunz-type function involving colons of a Frobenius power of an ideal with a Frobenius power of an element. They also employ the criteria of section 3 and strong test ideals. [For strong test ideals, see \textit{C. Huneke}, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 122, 243-250 (1997; Zbl 0898.13003), and \textit{A. Vraciu}, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 167, 361-373 (2002; Zbl 0992.13002).] The last section presents further questions, and a countable-input ``algorithm'' for determining tight closure. Throughout the paper the authors give great insight not only into tight closure, but also into general commutative algebra, by tying together many different facts and aspects, such as countable prime avoidance, or Noetherianness of the ring obtained by adjoining to a Noetherian ring infinitely many variables and localizing at all unit content polynomials.