On generalized invariants of cyclic groups (Q2254803)

Let \(G\) be a finite group acting linearly on a polynomial ring \(R = F[V]\) where \(V\) is a finite-dimensional \(F\)-vector space. A polynomial \(f \in R\) is called invariant if \((\sigma - 1) f = 0\) for all \(\sigma \in G\). The authors define a \textit{generalized invariant} to be a polynomial \(f\) such that for all \(\sigma \in G\) there exists an integer \(l\) such that \((\sigma - 1)^lf = 0\) and \((\sigma - 1)^l \neq 0\). The set of generalised invariants is not a ring but it is a \(F[V]^G\)-module. Clearly the set of invariants is a subset of the set of generalised invariants, and the authors note we have equality in the non-modular case. The remainder of the article concentrates on the action of a modular cyclic group. In that case it is shown that the set of generalised invariants coincides with the kernel of the transfer map. For indecomposable representations of dimension 2 or 3 the authors show that the set of generalised invariants is a free \(F[V]^G\)-module, and they give an example to show that this does not hold for arbitrary representations. Finally, the ideal of \(F[V]\) generated by generalised invariants of positive degree is studied, and the authors give explicit generators for this ideal for each indecomposable representation of a cyclic group of prime order.