Computing combinatorial decompositions of rings (Q1180429)

The authors apply the theory of Gröbner bases of ideals of polynomial ring \(k[x]\) to get explicit constructions of certain decompositions of the ring \(R=k[x]/I\) relevant in combinatorics (Stanley-, Rees-, Hironaka decomposition). Among other things they present an algorithm for testing a ring for Cohen-Macaulayness and one that finds primary and secondary invariants of finite group actions on polynomial rings. As a new application of Gröbner basis techniques it is shown that it can be decided whether a ring \(k[x,y]/I\) is free as \(k[y]\)-module.