On the prime ideal structure of tensor products of algebras (Q1861452)

Let \(A\) and \(B\) be \(k\)-algebras where \(k\) is a field. An important area of commutative algebra is the study of the passage from \(A\) and \(B\) to the \(k\)-algebra \(A\otimes_kB\), i.e. the investigation of the behavior of the prime ideals of \(A\) and \(B\) under ``extension of scalars''. In J. Algebra 252, 65--73 (2002; Zbl 1087.13507), \textit{S. Bouchiba} and \textit{S. Kabbaj} showed that if \(A\otimes_kB\) is Noetherian then \(A\otimes_kB\) is a Cohen-Macaulay ring if and only if \(A\) and \(B\) are Cohen-Macaulay rings. Recently [see J. Algebra 268, 672--676 (2003; Zbl 1087.13506)], \textit{M. Tousi} and \textit{S. Yassemi} showed that the same is true for complete intersection and Gorenstein rings. Also they showed that \(A\otimes_kB\) satisfies Serre's condition \((S_n)\) if and only if \(A\) and \(B\) satisfy \((S_n)\). In this paper the authors use the notion MPC (minimal prime comaximality) to study the prime ideal structure of \(A\otimes_kB\) and they show that the study of the spectrum of \(A\otimes_kB\) becomes more intricate if one moves beyond the context where at least one of \(A\), \(B\) is a field extension of \(k\). The fourth section is the main section of the paper. It seeks conditions for the tensor product of two \(k\)-algebras to inherit the (stably) strong \(S\)-property and (universal) catenarity. The main theorem of this section generates new families of stably strong \(S\)-rings and universally catenarian rings. The authors show that the catenarity of \(K\otimes_kA\) fails, in general, when the field extension of \(K\) is no longer algebraic over \(k\). In the last section several results on polynomial rings are recovered, and numerous examples are provided to illustrate the scope and sharpness of the results. This is a very nice paper -- well-written and full of interesting results.