Homological aspects of derivation modules and critical case of the Herzog-Vasconcelos conjecture (Q2131118)

Let \(R\) be a finitely generated algebra over a field \(k\) of characteristic zero and let \(\mathrm{Der}_{k}(R)\) be the \(R\)-module of \(k\)-linear derivations of \(R\). The Zariski-Lipman conjecture asserts that if \(\mathrm{Der}_{k}(R)\) is a free \(R\)-module, then \(R\) is a polynomial ring over \(k\). This has been proven in several special cases, for instance by \textit{M. Hochster} [J. Algebra 47, 411--424 (1977; Zbl 0401.13006)] in the graded case. J. Herzog and W. Vasconcelos suggested to replace the freeness of \(\mathrm{Der}_{k}(R)\) by the seemingly weaker condition of having finite projective dimension. Thus, if separated from the Zariski-Lipman conjecture, they ask whether \(\mathrm{Der}_{k}(R)\) is free if its projective dimension is finite. This question has been answered affirmatively for graded complete intersections with isolated singularity (see [\textit{J. Herzog} and \textit{A. Martsinkovsky}, Comment. Math. Helv. 68, No. 3, 365--384 (1993; Zbl 0799.14016)]) and for some other types of rings. The paper under review investigates the impact of imposing the finiteness of the projective dimension (and, more generally, of the Gorenstein dimension) of \(\mathrm{Der}_{k}(R)\) in the case when \(k\) is a unital commutative ring and \(R\) a local Noetherian \(k\)-algebra. The main problem considered in the paper is whether or when the above-mentioned key hypothesis ensures the freeness of \(\mathrm{Der}_{k}(R)\). The authors found two independent types of such conditions. First, a certain condition on the depth of the tensor product \(\mathrm{Der}_{k}(R)\otimes_{R}U\) where \(U\) is a torsionless \(R\)-module. Second, a (co)homological vanishing condition of the form \(\mathrm{Ext}_{R}^{i}(M, N) = 0\) or \(\mathrm{Tor}_{i}^{R}(M, N) = 0\) for some suitable modules \(M\) and \(N\). Both results are obtained with the assumption that the depth of \(R\) does not exceed \(3\). In the last part of the paper, the authors apply the obtained results to the critical case \(\operatorname{depth}R = 3\).