\(F\)-rationality of Rees algebras (Q2219006)

A local noetherian ring \((R,\mathfrak{m})\) of prime characteristic \(p>0\) is said to be \(F\)-rational if every ideal generated by a system of parameters is tightly closed. A noetherian ring \(R\) is said to be \(F\)-rational if the localization \(R_\mathfrak{m}\) is \(F\)-rational for every maximal ideal \(\mathfrak{m}\) of \(R\). In this paper the authors address several questions raised by \textit{N. Hara} et al. [J. Algebra 247, No. 1, 153--190 (2002; Zbl 1008.13001)] regarding the \(F\)-rationality of the Rees algebra \(\mathcal{R}(I)=R[It]\) and the extended Rees algebra \(\mathcal{R}'(I)=R[It,t^{-1}]\) of an \(\mathfrak{m}\)-primary ideal \(I\) in a local excellent domain \((R,\mathfrak{m})\). Hara, Watanabe, and Yoshida already proved that if \(R\) and \(\mathcal{R}(I)\) are \(F\)-rational, then \(\mathcal{R}'(I)\) is \(F\)-rational, too. The authors give a different proof of this result and, more importantly, show that the converse holds as well. Another question raised by Hara, Watanabe, and Yoshida asks the following: If \((R,\mathfrak{m})\) is a rational singularity of characteristic \(p>0\) and \(I\) is an integrally closed ideal such that Proj\(\mathcal{R}(I) \) is \(F\)-rational, is \(\mathcal{R}(I^m)\) \(F\)-rational for \(m \gg 0\)? The authors answer this question for \(3\)-dimensional domains of finite type over a field of prime characteristic. More precisely, under these assumptions, the authors prove that if \(R\) is a rational singularity, \(S\) is a graded \(R\)-algebra with \(\mathcal{R}(I) \subseteq S \subseteq \overline{\mathcal{R}(I)}\), and Proj\(S\) is \(F\)-rational, then the Veronese subalgebra \(\bigoplus_{n \geq 0}S_{nN}\) is \(F\)-rational for \(N \gg 0\).