On rings with low dimensional formal fibres (Q1175534)

For all integers \(n-2>t>0\), an example is given of an \(n\)-dimensional excellent local domain whose generic formal fibre has dimension \(t\). This answers a question of \textit{H. Matsumura} [in Algebraic geometry and commutative algebra, in Honor of M. Nagata, Vol. I, 261-266, (1988; Zbl 0686.13007)]. The proof centres on showing that, for \(w\) in \(K[[T]]\) where \(K\) is a field of characteristic 0, if the set of all \(\partial^ nw/\partial T^ n\) \((n\in\mathbb{N})\) is algebraically independent over \(K\) then this set is algebraically independent over a certain ring between \(K[[X_ 1,\ldots,X_ s]][T]\) and \(K[[X_ 1,\ldots,X_ s,T]]\) where \(s=n-t-2\).