Global Frobenius Betti numbers and Frobenius Euler characteristics (Q2167787)

Let \((R,\mathfrak{m},k)\) be a Noetherian local ring of prime characteristic \(p\). Suppose \(R\) is \(F\)-finite, that is, the Frobenius endomorphism \(F: x\mapsto x^p\) is a finite map, and suppose, for simplicity, that the residue field \(k\) is perfect. If \(M\) is an \(R\)-module and~\(e\) a positive integer, then \(F^e_*M\) denotes \(M\) viewed as a module over \(R\) via restriction of scalars under the \(e^\mathrm{th}\) Frobenius iterate \(F^e\). For each nonnegative integer~\(i\), the \(i^\mathrm{th}\) \emph{Frobenius Betti number} of a finitely generated \(R\)-module \(M\) is defined by \[ \beta_i^F(M) := \lim_{e\to \infty} \frac{\lambda(\operatorname{Tor}_i^R(k,F^e_* M))}{p^{e\dim M}} \] where \(\lambda(\ )\) denotes the length of an \(R\)-module. The fact that these limits exist follows from the work of \textit{G.~Seibert} [J.\ Algebra 125, No.\ 2, 278--287 (1989; Zbl 0694.13008)]. Invariants of this sort were studied by \textit{J.~Li} [Proc.\ Amer.\ Math.\ Soc.\ 136, 1553--1558 (2008; Zbl 1135.13002)] and \textit{A.~Stefani}, \textit{C.~Huneke}, and \textit{L.~Núñez-Betancourt} [J.\ Commut.\ Algebra\ 9, No.\ 4, 455--490 (2017; Zbl 1471.13014)], among others. The paper under review introduces a related notion, the \emph{Frobenius Euler characteristics} \[ \chi_i^F(M) := \sum_{j=0}^i (-1)^{i-j}\beta^F_j(M). \] The authors follow the methodology of their previous work [Adv.\ Math.\ 350, 359--395 (2019; Zbl 1453.13019)] to extend Frobenius Betti numbers and Euler characteristics to modules over non-local rings. They conclude with a study of how these new invariants can be used in detecting singularity, extending results of \textit{I.~M.~Aberbach} and \textit{J.~Li} [Math.\ Res.\ Lett.\ 15, No.\ 4, 815--820 (2008; Zbl 1162.13003)] and \textit{T.~Polstra} and \textit{I.~Smirnov} [Mich.\ Math.\ J.\ 70, No.\ 4, 837--856 (2021; Zbl 1486.13011)] to the non-local case. Specifically, they show that an \(F\)-finite Noetherian domain of positive characteristic is regular if and only if \(\beta_i^F(R)=0\) for some (equivalently, all) \(i \geqslant 1\), if and only if \(R\) is strongly \(F\)-regular and \(\chi_i^F(R) = (-1)^i\) for some (equivalently, all) \(i \geqslant 0\).