Cohen-Macaulay graphs

Let \(k\) be a field, and \(V=\{V_ 1,\ldots,V_ n\}\) indeterminates over \(k\). Given a graph \(G\) with vertex set \(V\), the author defines the ideal \(I=I(G)\subset R=k[V_ 1,\ldots,V_ n]\) to be generated by the products \(V_ iV_ j\) where \(\{V_ i,V_ j\}\) is a line of \(G\). He studies the Cohen-Macaulay property of \(G\), i.e. the Cohen-Macaulay property of \(R/I\), the symmetric algebra \(\text{Sym}(I)\), and the first Koszul homology \(H_ 1(I)\). Despite of the simplicity of the construction it seems very difficult to relate the ring-theoretic structure of \(I\) to the combinatorial structure of \(G\). (Of course \(R/I\) can be interpreted as the Stanley-Reisner ring of a simplicial complex, but this connection does not seem very helpful.) The paper contains several interesting results and ideas. The main theorems are as follows: (1) A tree \(G\) is Cohen-Macaulay if and only if \(| V|\leq 2\) or \(V\) can be partitioned into two subsets \(\{X_ 1,\ldots,X_ m\}\) and \(\{Y_ 1,\ldots,Y_ m\}\) such that \(\{X_ i,Y_ i\}\) is the only line adjacent to \(X_ i\) for all \(i\). (2) When \(G\) is connected, then \(\text{Sym}(I)\) is isomorphic to the Rees algebra of \(I\) if and only if \(G\) is a tree or has a unique cycle of odd length. (3) If a tree \(G\) is Cohen-Macaulay, then so is \(H_ 1(I)\). (4) If \(G\) is connected, then the Krull dimension of \(\text{Sym}(I)\) is \(\sup\{n+1,q\}\) where \(q\) is the number of lines in \(G\). In proving these theorems the author applies results of Fröberg, Herzog, Huneke-Rossi, and Vasconcelos. The last part of the paper presents some recursive constructions leading to a large class of graphs \(G\) for which \(R/I\) is Cohen-Macaulay. Moreover, they show that among the cycles exactly those with 3 and 5 vertices are Cohen-Macaulay.

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