Bounds for the multiplicity of almost complete intersections (Q1178742)

We give lower bounds for the multiplicity of local and homogeneous almost complete intersections \(A/I\), where \(A/I\) is a Buchsbaum ring. As a consequence we obtain in the local case sufficient conditions on \(e(A/I)\) for the Cohen-Macaulayness of \(A/I\) (section 3). It turns out that the assumption on \(I\) to be an almost complete intersection ideal implies a strong restriction on the behaviour of the multiplicity, compared with Buchsbaum ideals with arbitrary number of generators. In section 4 we consider Buchsbaum homogeneous almost complete intersection ideals in polynomial rings \(A\) over a field \(k\). Using combinatorial and geometrical methods due to Stanley and Harris one can give better bounds for the multiplicity of such homogeneous rings than in the local case (i.e. \((A,{\mathfrak m})\) is a regular local ring with infinite residue field and \(I\) an ideal of \(A\) with \((0)\neq I\subset{\mathfrak m}^ 2)\).