Regularity and \(a\)-invariant of Cameron-Walker graphs (Q2035829)

Suppose that \(S=K[x_1, \dots, x_n]\) is the polynomial ring over the field \(K\) with standard grading and \(I\) is a homogeneous ideal of \(S\) with \(\dim (S/I)=d\). It is well known that the Hilbert series \(H(S/I,\lambda)\) of \(S/I\) is of the form \[H(S/I, \lambda)=\frac{h(S/I,\lambda)}{(1-\lambda)^d},\] where \(h(S/I, \lambda)\) is a polynomial in \(\mathbb{Z}[\lambda]\). It is known that for every square-free monomial ideal \(I\) of \(S\), \[a(S/I):=\deg h(S/I, \lambda)- \dim (S/I)\leq 0, \tag{1}\] and \[\deg h(S/I,\lambda)-\mathrm{reg} \ (S/I) \leq \dim (S/I) -\mathrm{depth} \ (S/I). \tag{2}\] On the other hand, A Cameron-Walker graph is a simple graph which is neither a star graph nor a star triangle and has the same matching number and induced matching number. A combinatorial structure for such graphs are introduced in [\textit{K. Cameron} and \textit{T. Walker}, Discrete Math. 299, 49--55 (2005; Zbl 1073.05054)]. In fact \(G\) is a Cameron-Walker graph if \(G\) consists of a connected bipartite graph with vertex partition \([n]\cup [m]\) such that at least one leaf edge attached to each vertex \(i\in [n]\) and that there may be possibly some pendant triangles attached to each vertex \(j\in[m]\). In the paper under review, the equalities in (1) and (2) are studied when \(I\) is the edge ideal of a Cameron-Walker graph. In fact it is shown that when \(I\) is the edge ideal of a Cameron-Walker graph, then \(a(S/I)=0\) and so \(\deg h(S/I, \lambda)= \dim (S/I)\). Also, this value is given in terms of the number of leaf edges and pendant triangles. So inequality (2) changes into \(\mathrm{reg} \ (S/I) \geq \mathrm{depth} \ (S/I)\). Since both of these invariants have combinatorial expression for these kinds of graphs, the authors can specify the Cameron-Walker graphs satisfying the equality in (2). They have also given an example of Cameron-Walker graph for which the inequality (2) is strict. As a corollary they have shown that for each \(2\leq e \leq d\) there are some Cameron-Walker graphs with \(\dim (S/I) =d\) and \(\mathrm{depth} \ (S/I)=e\). In addition, it is shown that when \(I\) is the edge ideal of the following graphs, equality in (2) holds: \begin{itemize} \item[\(\bullet\)] a star graph \(S_n\) with \(n\geq 1\); \item[\(\bullet\)] a path graph \(P_n\) with \(n\geq 2\); \item[\(\bullet\)] a cycle graph \(C_n\) with \(n\geq 3\); \item[\(\bullet\)] a broom graph \(B(n, 3)\) with \(n\geq 5\). \end{itemize} Although in [\textit{T. Hibi} et al., Electron. J. Comb. 26 (1) 1.22 (2019; Zbl 1440.13060)] it is shown that for given integers \(r, s \geq 1\), there exists a finite simple graph \(G\) such that \(\mathrm{reg} \ (S/I) = r\) and \(\deg h(S/I, \lambda) = s\), but in this paper the authors have shown that for Cameron-Walker graphs we always have \(\deg h(S/I, \lambda)\geq \mathrm{reg} \ (S/I) \) and the equality is precisely characterized. As the last but not least result, they have introduced some Cameron-Walker graphs with specified values for \(\dim (S/I), \mathrm{reg} \ (S/I)\) and \(\mathrm{depth} \ (S/I)\). The paper is well organized and the results are well explained with several illustrative examples.