On the homogeneous ideal of finite sets in \(\mathbb{P}^ n\) (Q1194200)

Let \(I\) be the homogeneous ideal in \(R = K[X_ 0 ,\cdots,X_ n ]\) (\(K\) an algebraically closed field) of a general finite set \(S\) of \(d\) points in projective space \(\mathbb{P}^ n\). If the first non-zero component of \(I\) is in degree \(k\), it is known that \(I\) is generated in degree \(\leq k+1\). Furthermore, dim \(I_ k\) and dim \(I_{k+1}\) are easy to compute (depending on the number of points) since the coordinate ring of \(S\) has so-called generic Hilbert function. Clearly the number of minimal generators of \(I\) in degree \(k\) is just dim \(I_ k\), and an interesting question is to determine the number of minimal generators in degree \(k+1\). This number is exactly dim \(I_{k+1}-\hbox{dim im } \phi_ k\), where \(\phi_ k : I_ k \otimes R_ 1 \rightarrow I_{k+1}\) gives the multiplication. So a lower bound is clearly \(\max \{ 0, \hbox{dim }I_{k+1} - (n+1)\cdot \hbox{dim }I_ k \}.\) The ideal generation conjecture says that for a general set of points, this bound is sharp. That is, \(\phi_ k\) has maximal rank. [This is part of a more general conjecture giving the expected graded Betti numbers of a minimal free resolution of \(I\). See \textit{A. Lorenzini}, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 60, No. 3, 273-288 (1989; Zbl 0702.13013) for details.] Given \(k\) and \(n\), there is an integer \(a(n,k)\) which is the smallest degree (i.e.\ number of points) for which you expect \(\phi_ k\) to be injective. The present paper proves that if \(d\) is not too close to \(a(n,k)\) then the conjecture is true. More precisely, there is an integer \(c(n)\) (depending only on \(n\)) such that if \(d \leq a(n,k) - c(n)\) then \(I\) is generated in degree \(k\), and if \(d \geq a(n,k) + c(n)\) then the number of minimal generators in degree \(k+1\) is that given by the conjecture. The author attributes the methods used to A. Hirschowitz. At the end of the paper he gives two related conjectures concerning ``general'' embeddings of a smooth curve.