Relations among discriminant, different, and conductor of an order (Q1970979)

Let \(R\) be a Dedekind domain and let \(A\) be an \(R\)-order in a finite separable extension \(F/K\) of the quotient field \(K\) of \(R\). Let \(S\) be the integral closure of \(R\) in \(F\), let \(A'=\{x\in F: \operatorname {Tr}_{F/K}(xA)\subset R\}\) be the dual module of \(A\), denote by \(D_A=(A')^{-1}\) the Dedekind different of \(A\) and let \(C_A\) be the conductor of \(A\) in \(S\). Finally let \(\text{disc}_{F/K}(A)=[A':A]\) be the discriminant of \(A\). The authors study the relations between these modules and establish the following chain of inclusions: \[ N_{F/K}(D_AS)\subset \text{disc}_{F/K}(A)\subset N_{F/K}((A'S)^{-1})= N_{F/K}(C_A)\text{disc}_{F/K}(S). \] They show also that \(A\) is a Gorenstein ring if and only if all inclusions in this chain are equalities. Finally they produce examples to show that in general there are no inclusion relations between the discriminant of \(A\) and \([A:D_A]\).