On the length function of saturations of ideal powers (Q1752949)

Let \((R, \mathfrak m)\) be a Noetherian local ring of dimension \(d\) and \(I\) an ideal. In the present paper, the authors study the function \[ h_I^0(n) = \text{length}(H^0_{\mathfrak m}(R/I^n)). \] Is there a polynomial \(P_I(n)\) such that (\#) \(h^0_I(n) = P_I(n)\) for \(n \gg 0\)? They show that such a polynomial exists if (A) \(I\) is a principal ideal, or (B) \(R\) is unmixed and \(I\) is generated by a part of some special system of parameters. In Case (A), \(\deg P_I(n) \leq 1\) and \(P_I(n)\) is closely related to the multiplicity of an Artinian module \(H^1_{\mathfrak m}(R)\). In Case (B), let \(x_1, \dots, x_n\) be an almost $p$-standard system of parameters, this notion rose from the theory of Macaulayfication [\textit{Nguyen Tu Cuong} and \textit{Doan Trung Cuong}, Acta Math. Vietnam. 42, No. 1, 37--60 (2017; Zbl 1365.13038)]. If we put \(I = (x_{i+1}, \dots, x_j)\) (\(0 \leq i < j \leq d\)), then there is a polynomial satisfying (\#). It is interesting that the ideal \[ \bigcup_k (x_{i+1}, \dots, x_d)^n: \mathfrak m^k(/(x_{i+1}, \dots, x_d)^n \cong H^0_{\mathfrak m}(R/(x_{i+1}, \dots, x_d)^n) \] plays a key role in Macaulayfication.