Breaking up simplicial homology and subadditivity of syzygies (Q2114792)

Let \(I\) be a homogeneous ideal in the polynomials ring \(S=k[x_1, \ldots, x_n]\) over a field \(k\). Let \(t_a\) denoted the maximum value of \(j\) such that the graded Betti number \(\beta_{a,j}(S/I)\neq 0\). The ideal \(I\) satisfies the subadditivity property on the maximal degrees of its syzygies if\[t_{a+b}\leq t_a+t_b,\]where \(a+b\) is not more than the projective dimension of the ideal. In the case of monomial ideals, the syzygies can be characterized as dimensions of homology modules of topological objects. In this case the subadditivity property can be shown to follow from the following general type of question: Does a topological object with \(d\)-homology break into sub-objects that have \(a\)-homology and \(b\)-homology, where \(a\) and \(b\) are related to \(d\)? In this paper, using Hochster's formula, the authors examine this problem from the point of view of the Stanley-Reisner complex, and provide a positive answer to the general question above for a fixed value of \(d\). As a result, it is show that subadditivity holds in a fixed homological degree for all monomial ideals.