Resolutions of Stanley-Reisner rings and Alexander duality (Q1295575)

Let \(k\) be a field and let \(\Delta\) be a simplicial complex on the vertex set \(\{1,\dots,n\}\). The Stanley-Reisner ring of \(\Delta\) is defined to be \(k[\Delta]=k[x_1,\dots,x_n]/I_{\Delta}\) where \(I_{\Delta}\) is the ideal of non-faces of \(\Delta\). The main result of this paper is that the Betti numbers \(\dim_k \text{Tor}_i^A(k[\Delta],k)\) are computable from the homology of links of faces in \(\Delta^*\), the Alexander dual of \(\Delta\). To prove it the authors use Alexander duality and a formula of Hochster computing the Betti numbers of \(k[\Delta]\). An important consequence of this result is a complete characterization of the square-free monomial ideals with linear resolution. It follows, in fact, that \(I_{\Delta}\) has a linear resolution as \(k[x_1,\dots,x_n]\)-module if and only if \(\Delta^*\) is Cohen-Macaulay over \(k\). Moreover the authors show how to compute the Betti numbers in some cases where \(\Delta\) is well-behaved (shellable, Cohen-Macaulay or Buchsbaum) and discuss some other applications of shellability.