Attached primes of the top local cohomology modules with respect to an ideal (Q1777325)

Let \((R,{\mathfrak m})\) be a Noetherian local ring, let \({\mathfrak a}\) be an ideal of \(R\) and let \(M\) be an \(R\)-module of dimension \(n\). The authors prove two results about the attached primes of the top cohomology module \(H^n_{{\mathfrak a}}(M)\). Theorem A: When \(M\) is finite, these are precisely the prime ideals in \(\text{Ass}(M)\) for which \(\text{cd}({\mathfrak a}, R/{\mathfrak p})= n\). Theorem B: If \(M\) is not necessarily finite, but \(\dim M= \dim R= n\), then the attached primes are a subset of those in \(\text{Ass}(M)\) for which \(\text{cd}({\mathfrak a}, R/{\mathfrak p})= n\). Theorem A is an extension of a theorem of \textit{I. G. Macdonald} and \textit{R. Y. Sharp} [Q. J. Math., Oxf. II. Ser. 23, 197--204 (1972; Zbl 0235.14004)] in which \({\mathfrak p}= {\mathfrak a}\), and leads to a proof of the local Lichtenbaum-Hartshorne theorem. An example shows that the inclusion in theorem B can be strict.