Independent sequences and freeness criteria (Q6038516)

Let \(A\) be a commutative Noetherian ring and \(M\) be an \(A\)-module. A sequence \(x_1, \dots, x_n\) of elements of \(A\) is said to be an \(M\)-independent sequence if for any \(m_1, \dots, m_n\in M\), \(\sum_{i= 1}^{n}x_i m_i= 0\) implies \(\langle m_1, \dots, m_n\rangle \subseteq \langle x_1, \dots, x_n\rangle M\) or, equivalently, the natural surjection \(\Phi: \bigoplus_1^n \frac{M}{\langle x_1, \dots, x_n\rangle M}\rightarrow \frac{\langle x_1, \dots, x_n\rangle M}{\langle x_1, \dots, x_n\rangle ^2M}\), defined by \( \Phi((\bar{m_1}, \dots, \bar{m_n}))= \sum \tilde{x_i m_i}\) is an isomorphism. This notion is due to \textit{C. Lech} [Acta Math. 112, 69--89 (1964; Zbl 0123.03602)] and \textit{D. Hanes} [J. Algebra 237, No. 2, 708--718 (2001; Zbl 1023.13012)]. Any \(M\)-regular sequence is an \(M\)-independent sequence, but the converse does not hold any more. Indeed, Vasconcelos show that a sequence is \(A\)-regular if and only if it is \(A\)-independent and generates an ideal of finite projective dimension [\textit{W. V. Vasconcelos}, J. Algebra 6, 309--316 (1967; Zbl 0147.29301)]. In the paper under review, the author use independent sequences to generalize and improve some known results of Lech, Hanes, Bruns, Auslander and Buchsbaum and also present a new proof of de Smit's conjecture [\textit{S. Brochard}, Compos. Math. 153, No. 11, 2310--2317 (2017; Zbl 1417.11095)]. Using a new characterization of independence sequences in terms of the associated Koszul complex, the author prove the following theorem which is one of the main results of the paper and has already been proved when the matrix \((w_{ij})\) that appears in the statement is diagonal. Theorem. Let \(x_1, \dots, x_n\) and \(u_1, \dots, u_n\) be sequences of elements of \(A\), that generate ideals \(J_x\) and \(J_u\) . Assume that the \(x_i\)'s form an \(M\)-independent sequence and that for any \(i\) there exist elements \(w_{ij}\in A\) such that \(x_i =\sum w_{ij}u_j\) (i.e. \(J_x\subseteq J_u\) ). Then \begin{itemize} \item[1.] The sequence \(u_1, \dots, u_n\) is \(M\)-independent. \item[2.] If \(\triangle\) denotes the determinant of the matrix \((w_{ij})\), we have the following equalities of submodules of M: \begin{itemize} \item[(a)] \( (J_x M : J_u)=(J_x+ (\triangle))M\); \item[(b)] \( (J_x M :(J_x+ (\triangle))) = J_u M\). \end{itemize} \item[3.] If \(M\) is nonzero and of finite type, and if \(J_u\subseteq \mathrm{Jac}(A)\), then \(\triangle\notin J_x\). \end{itemize} In terms of ``linkage theory'', the second part states that the ideals \(J_u\) and \(J_x +(\triangle)\) are linked by \(J_x\) over the module \(M\). As an application of the above theorem, the author express Auslander-Buchsbaum formula in terms of independent sequences. More precisely, according to the Auslander-Buchsbaum formula a finite type \(A\)-module \(M\) of finite projective dimension is free over the local ring \(A\) if and only if there exists an \(M\)-regular sequence of the maximal possible length \(depth(A)\) in \(\mathfrak{m}_A\). In this paper it is shown that \(\mathrm{embdim}(A)\) is the maximal possible length of an \(M\)-independent sequence and that if \(M\) is of finite type over \(A\) then \(M\) is free if and only if there exists a ``strongly'' \(M\)-independent sequence of length \(\mathrm{embdim}(A)\) in \(\mathfrak{m}_A\) (note that here we do not need \(pd_A(M)< \infty\)). Using this freeness result, the author gives a new and more transparent proof of de Smit's conjecture [\textit{S. Brochard}, Compos. Math. 153, No. 11, 2310--2317 (2017; Zbl 1417.11095)], namely: Let \(\Phi : A\rightarrow B\) be a flat local morphism of Noetherian local rings with \(\mathrm{embdim}(A)\geq\mathrm{embdim}(B)\) and let \(M\) be a \(B\)-module of finite type that is free over \(A\). Then \(M\) is free over \(B\) and \(\mathrm{embdim}(A)= \mathrm{embdim}(B)\).