New approaches to bounding the multiplicity of an ideal (Q2497459)

Let \(R = k[x_1,\ldots,x_n]\) denote the polynomial ring over a field \(k.\) For a homogeneous ideal \(I \subset R\) of codimension \(c\) let \( 0 \rightarrow F_p \rightarrow \ldots \rightarrow F_1 \rightarrow R \rightarrow R/I \rightarrow 0\) denote a minimal free resolution. Let \(m_i\) resp. \(M_i\) denote the minimal resp. the maximal degree shift that occurs in \(F_i.\) Then the multiplicity conjecture, see e.g. \textit{J. Herzog} and \textit{H. Srinivasan} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 350, 2879--2902 (1998; Zbl 0899.13026)], states that \[ 1/c! \prod_{i=1}^c m_i \leq e(R/I) \leq 1/c! \prod_{i=1}^c M_i \] whenever \(R/I\) is Cohen-Macaulay resp. \(e(R/I) \leq 1/c! \prod_{i=1}^c M_i\) in the general case. The author of the present paper investigates modules with a particular Hilbert function and shows that it is enough to prove the statement only for elements at the bottom of the partially ordered set of resolutions with that Hilbert function. It enables him to test the conjectured upper bound efficiently with the computer algebra system \textsc{Macaulay 2}. His approach is sufficient in order to verify the upper bound for many Artinian modules in three variables with small socle degree, while it is insufficient in order to prove the conjecture in general. Moreover, he applies a result of Herzog and Srinivasan [loc. cit.] on ideals with a quasipure resolution in order to prove the upper bound for Cohen-Macaulay quotients by ideals with generators in high degrees relative to the Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity.