On the Cohen-Macaulayness of multi-Rees algebras and Rees algebras of powers of ideals (Q1127676)

Let \(I\) be an ideal in a local ring \(A\). We want to investigate the Cohen-Macaulay properties of various Rees algebras of \(A\) with respect to \(I\), namely the multi-Rees algebras \((R_A({\mathcal I})_r))=:\bigoplus_{{(n_1,\dots,n_r)\atop n_i\geq 0}}I^{n_1}\dots I^{n_r}\), the Rees algebras of powers of \(I\) \((R_A(I^s))\) and the ordinary Rees algebra \((R_A(I))\). In the first part of this paper we will discuss how the Cohen-Macaulay properties of \(R_A({\mathcal I}_r)\) and \(R_A(I^s)\) are related. We will describe situations in which the Cohen-Macaulayness of one of these algebras implies the same property for the other one in terms of the \(a\)-invariants of the corresponding form ring \(G_A(I)\). In particular, we will show that both implications always hold under the assumption that \(\text{depth } G_A(I)\geq \dim A-1\). In the second part of the paper we will address the question when the Cohen-Macaulayness of \(R_A({\mathcal I}_r)\) or \(R_A(I^s)\) implies that \(R_A(I)\) is Cohen-Macaulay, too. To investigate this question, we will concentrate on the case that \(A\) is a Cohen-Macaulay ring of dimension at most three.