Some results on Betti numbers of Stanley-Reisner rings (Q1924374)

Let \(\Delta\) be a simplicial complex on the vertex set \(V= \{x_1, \dots, x_v\}\), that is, \(\Delta\) is a collection of subsets of \(V\) such that (i) \(\{x_i\} \in\Delta\) for every \(i\), and (ii) if \(\sigma\in \Delta\) and \(\tau\subset \sigma\) then \(\tau\in \Delta\). Let \(A=k [x_1, \dots, x_v]\) be the polynomial ring in \(v\) variables over a field \(k\) (each \(x_i\in V\) is identified with the variable \(x_i\) of \(A\) and \(\deg x_i=1)\), and \(I_\Delta\) be the ideal generated by \(x_{i_1}, \dots, x_{i_r}\), \(1\leq i_1< \cdots <i_r\leq v\), with \(\{x_{i_1}, \dots, x_{i_r}\} \notin\Delta\). We say that the algebra \(k[\Delta]: =A^r/I_\Delta\) is the Stanley-Reisner ring of \(\Delta\) over \(k\). Let \(h = \text{hd}_A k[\Delta]\) and consider a graded minimal free resolution \[ 0\to \bigoplus_jA(-j)^{\beta_{hj}} \to\cdots \to\bigoplus_j A(-j)^{\beta_{ij}} \to A\to k[\Delta] \to 0 \] of \(k[\Delta]\) over \(A\). The numbers \(\beta_{ij}\) and \(\beta_i^A (k[\Delta]) = \sum_j \beta_{ij}\), the \(i\)-th Betti number of \(k[\Delta]\) over \(A\), are very important numerical invariants. It is obvious that \(\beta_1^A (k[\Delta])\) is independent of the base field \(k\), and it is known that \(\beta_2^A (k [\Delta])\) is also independent of \(k\) [\textit{W. Bruns} and \textit{J. Herzog}, Math. Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 118, No. 2, 245-257 (1995)]. In section two the authors prove that if \(I_\Delta\) is generated by square free monomials of degree two then \(\beta_3^A (k[\Delta])\) and \(\beta^A_4 (k[\Delta])\) are independent of the base field \(k\). In section three they prove that if the geometric realization \(|\Delta|\) of \(\Delta\) is the \(n\)-sphere \(S^n\) or \(n\)-ball \(B^n\) with \(n\geq 3\) then all the Betti numbers \(\beta_i^A (k[\Delta])\) are independent of the base field \(k\). On the other hand it is shown that for \(n\geq 4\) there exists \(\Delta\) such that \(|\Delta |= S^n\), \(B^n\) and \(\beta_i^A (k[\Delta])\) depends on the base field \(k\) for some \(i\).