On the Lex-plus-powers conjecture (Q1621460)

Let \(I \subset S = \Bbbk[x_1,\ldots,x_n]\) be a homogeneous ideal containing a regular sequence of degrees \(d_1 \leq \ldots \leq d_c\). The Eisenbud-Green-Harris conjecture (see [\textit{D. Eisenbud} et al., Astérisque 218, 187--202 (1993; Zbl 0819.14001)] and [\textit{D. Eisenbud} et al., Bull. Am. Math. Soc., New Ser. 33, No. 3, 295--324 (1996; Zbl 0871.14024)]) states that there exists a lex ideal \(L \subseteq S\) such that \(I\) has the same Hilbert function as \(L + (x_1^{d_1}, \ldots,x_c^{d_c})\). A positive answer has various consequences about the growth of Hilbert functions. In particular, if \(L + (x_1^{d_1}, \ldots,x_c^{d_c})\) exists it has the largest number of generators among all ideals with the same Hilbert function containing a complete intersection of degrees \(d_1 \leq \ldots \leq d_c\). This leads to the Lex-plus-powers Conjecture (attributed to Charalambous and Evans (see [\textit{C. A. Francisco} and \textit{B. P. Richert}, Lect. Notes Pure Appl. Math. 254, 113--144 (2007; Zbl 1125.13008)]): If there exists a lex ideal \(L \subseteq S\) such that \(I\) has the same Hilbert function as \(L + (x_1^{d_1}, \ldots,x_c^{d_c})\), then \(\beta^S_{i,j}(I) \leq \beta^S_{i,j}(L + (x_1^{d_1}, \ldots,x_c^{d_c})\) for the corresponding graded Betti numbers \(\beta^S_{i,j}\). As a main result of the paper this is shown to be true if \(\text{char} \Bbbk = 0\) and the degrees satisfy \(d_i \geq \sum_{j=1}^{i-1} (d_j-1) +1\) for all \(i \geq 3\).