Gorenstein rings and modules with high numbers of generators (Q1063073)

The purpose of the paper is to prove two criteria for a local Cohen- Macaulay ring to be Gorenstein. Let R be a Cohen-Macaulay ring which is a factor ring of a regular local ring, and assume that there is a finite morphism from R to a locally factorial and locally Cohen-Macaulay ring S with kernel I. Then the author proves that R is Gorenstein if and only if \(R_ q\) is Gorenstein for some q in Ass(R/I) and \(Ext^ i_ R(S,R)=0\) for dim R-dim S\(<i\leq \dim R\). This result gives a simple proof of \textit{C. J. Rego}'s theorem [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 12, 111-115 (1978; Zbl 0374.13016)]: For a one-dimensional analytically unramified local ring R with conductor c, R is Gorenstein if and only if \(Ext^ 1_ R(c,R)=0\). Let M be a Cohen-Macaulay ring R. Then we have the following upper bound for the minimal number \(\nu\) (M) of generators for M with positive rank \(\nu\) (M)\(\leq e(R) rank(M)\) where e(R) is the multiplicity of R. The author proves that if a local Cohen-Macaulay ring R has a finitely generated module M with positive rank such that \(2\nu (M)>e(R) rank(M)\) and \(Ext^ i_ R(M,R)=0\) for \(1\leq i\leq \dim R\) then R is Gorenstein. He asks whether there always exists a Cohen-Macaulay R-module M with positive rank such that \(\nu (M)=e(R) rank(M)\). As a corollary to the above result, the author shows: Let R be a local Cohen-Macaulay ring and I an ideal which is a generically complete intersection. Then I is a complete intersection if and only if \(Ext^ i_ R(I^ n,R)=0\) for ht(I)\(\leq i\leq \dim R\) and infinitely many n. Using a similar method, the author shows that Cohen-Macaulay algebras with linear resolution can not be strongly nonobstructed except in some trivial cases.