Almost Cohen-Macaulay algebras in mixed characteristic via Fontaine rings (Q1928898)

\textit{M. Hochster} [Topics in the homological theory of modules over commutative rings. Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences. Regional Conference Series in Mathematics. No. 24. Providence, R.I.: American Mathematical Society (AMS). (1975; Zbl 0302.13003)] conjectured that every local Noetherian ring \((R,\mathfrak{m})\) of mixed characteristic has a big Cohen-Macaulay algebra, that is an \(R\)-algebra \(B\) such that \(B \neq \mathfrak{m}B\) and such that any system of parameters \(x_1,\dots,x_d\) in \(R\) is \(B\)-regular. It is known that Big Cohen-Macaulay algebras exist for equicharacteristic local rings [Zbl 0302.13003; \textit{M. Hochster} and \textit{C. Huneke}, Adv. Math. 113, No. 1, 45--117 (1995; Zbl 0834.13013)], and in mixed characteristic for rings of dimension \(\dim R \leq 3\). This last result was obtained by \textit{M. Hochster} [J. Algebra 254, No. 2, 395--408 (2002; Zbl 1078.13506)] examining Heitmann's proof of the Monomial Conjecture for rings of dimension \(\dim R \leq 3\). Recent work of \textit{P. C. Roberts} [J. Algebra 323, No. 8, 2257--2269 (2010; Zbl 1191.13023); ``The root closure of a ring of mixed characteristic'', \url{arXiv:0810.0215})] proved the existence of almost Cohen-Macaulay algebras for rings in mixed characteristic, under some additional assumptions. The existence of almost Cohen Macaulay algebras in whole generality would prove the Monomial Conjecture. In this paper, the author defines the notion of weakly almost Cohen Macaulay algebra, and in the main theorem he proves the existence of a weakly almost Cohen Macaulay \(R^+\)-algebra for a complete local domain of mixed characteristic \(p\), and of a system of parameters \(p,x_2,\ldots,x_d\) satisfying some regularity conditions. He points out that the existence of such a weakly almost Cohen Macaulay algebras would imply the Monomial conjecture only under some additional assumptions, that are discussed in the concluding remarks. The proof of the main theorem is via reduction to positive characteristic using Fontaine rings. Then the author constructs a perfect algebra that is finally lifted to the ring of Witt vectors.