Set-theoretic complete intersection lattice ideals in monoid rings (Q2497430)

Let \(k\) be a field. A curve \(C\) in affine \(N\)-space is a set-theoretic complete intersection if there are \(N-1\) polynomials \(F_1,\dots, F_{N-1}\) in the ring \(k[X_1\dots,X_N]\) whose vanishing locus is precisely \(C\). Equivalently, the ideal \((F_1,\dots,F_{N-1})\) coincides with the ideal of \(C\) up to radical. Is every curve a set-theoretic complete intersection? The case where \(C\) is a monomial curve (i.e. when \(C = \{ (t_1^{n_1},\dots,t_N^{n_N}) \;| \;t \in k \}\) for natural numbers \(n_1,\dots,n_N\) whose GCD is 1) is of particular interest, and is the focus of this paper. For \(k\) of positive characteristic, it is known that all monomial curves are set-theoretic complete intersections, and even that the \(F_i\) can be chosen to be binomials. In characteristic zero it is open, although it is known that if \(C\) is monomial and a set-theoretic complete intersection, and if the \(F_i\) are binomials, then \(C\) is actually a complete intersection. This paper considers the case in characteristic zero where \(C\) is a monomial set-theoretic complete intersection curve with \(N-2\) of the \(F_i\) binomials. Using the theory of lattice ideals, some of which is developed here, the author finds a method for reducing the ideal of a monomial curve, which is a set-theoretic complete intersection of \(N-2\) binomials and one polynomial, to another one of smaller embedding dimension. Using this method, two examples are given in affine 4-space: in the first it is shown how to construct the desired almost complete intersection of two binomials and one polynomial. In the second, it is shown that no such ideal exists.