Matchings and squarefree powers of edge ideals (Q2077270)

Let \(G=(V,E)\) be a simple graph on a vertex set \(V\). The edge ideal of \(G\) is the squarefree monomial ideal \[ I(G)=(\textbf{x}_e \colon \; e \in E), \] where \(\textbf{x}_e=x_i x_j\) for \(e=\{i,j\}\). The \(k\)th squarefree power of \(G\), denoted by \(I(G)^{[k]}\), is the squarefree monomial ideal generated by all squarefree monomials in \(I(G)^k\), the \(k\)th ordinary power of \(I(G)\). The paper under review gives an upper bound for the regularity of the squarefree powers of edge ideal of a graph \(G\) and investigates when such powers are linearly related or have linear resolution. A finite set of edges \(M = \{e_1,\ldots, e_k\} \subseteq E\) is called a matching of \(G\) if \(e_i \cap e_j = \varnothing\) for \(1 \leq i < j \leq k\). Given a matching \(M\) of \(G\), let \(u_M=\prod_{e \in M} \textbf{x}_e\). It turns out that \[ I(G)^{[k]}=\left(u_M \colon \; M \text{ is a matching in } G \text{ and } |M|=k \right). \] In the study of squarefree powers of edge ideals, there are three important invariants of a graph \(G\) which are introduced as follows: \begin{itemize} \item \textbf{Matching number.} The matching number of \(G\), denoted by \(\nu(G)\), is the maximum cardinality of a matching of \(G\). Clearly, \(I(G)=I(G)^{[1]}\) and \(I(G)^{[k]}=0\) for \(k>\nu(G)\). It is shown in [\textit{M. Bigdeli} et al., Commun. Algebra 46, No. 3, 1080--1095 (2018; Zbl 1428.13032), Theorem 5.1] that \(I(G)^{[\nu(G)]}\) has linear quotients. \item \textbf{Induced matching number.} An induced matching of \(G\) is a matching \(M = \{e_1,\ldots, e_k\}\) of \(G\) such that the induced subgraph of \(G\) on \(\cup_{i=1}^k e_i\) has exactly \(k\) edges. the number \(\nu_1(G)\) stands for the induced matching number of \(G\) which is the maximum size of an induced matching in \(G\). \item \textbf{Restricted matching number.} A restricted matching of \(G\) is a matching in which there exists an edge which provides a gap in \(G\) with any other edge in the matching. The maximum size of a restricted matching in \(G\) is denoted by \(\nu_0(G)\). \end{itemize} One may observe that \[ \nu_1(G) \leq \nu_0(G) \leq \nu(G). \] One of the main results of the paper under review is that for a graph \(G\), and for all \(1 \leq k \leq \nu_1(G)\) one has the inequality \[ \mathrm{reg}(I(G)^{[k]}) \geq k+\nu_1(G). \] On the other hand, the authors show that \(\mathrm{reg}(I(G)^{[k]}) \leq k+\nu(G)\) for \(k=2\). This inequality is already known for \(k=1\) [\textit{H. T. Hà} and \textit{A. Van Tuyl}, J. Algebr. Comb. 27, No. 2, 215--245 (2008; Zbl 1147.05051), Theorem 1.5] and \(k=\nu(G)\) [\textit{M. Bigdeli} et al., Commun. Algebra 46, No. 3, 1080--1095 (2018; Zbl 1428.13032), Theorem 5.1]. A homogeneous ideal \(I\) in the polynomial ring \(S=\mathbb{K}[x_1, \ldots, x_n]\) is said to be linearly related, if the first syzygy module of \(I\) is generated by linear relations. The other main result of this paper states that if \(G\) is a graph and \(I(G)^{[k]}\) is linearly related then so is \(I(G)^{[k+1]}\). It follows that there exists a smallest integer \(\lambda(I(G))\) for which \(I(G)^{[k]}\) is linearly related for all \(k \geq \lambda(I(G))\). It is known [\textit{M. Bigdeli} et al., Commun. Algebra 46, No. 3, 1080--1095 (2018; Zbl 1428.13032), Lemma 5.2] that \(\lambda(I(G)) \geq \nu_0(G)\) and there are some examples with strict inequality. The authors show that \(I(G)^{[\nu_0(G)]}\) is linearly related if \(\nu_0(G) \leq 2\). A squarefree monomial ideal \(I\) is said to satisfy the squarefree Ratliff property, if \(I^{[k]} \colon I = I^{[k]}\) for all \(k \geq 2\). The last main result of the paper under review states that any nonzero squarefree monomial ideal satisfies the squarefree Ratliff property.