The arithmetical rank of the edge ideals of graphs with whiskers (Q2256996)

Let \(R\) be a Noetherian commutative ring with identity and \(I\) be a proper ideal of \(R\). The arithmetical rank of \(I\) is denoted by \(\text{ara}(I)\) and is defined as the smallest integer \(t\) for which there exist \(a_1,\ldots,a_t\in R\) such that \(\sqrt{\langle a_1, \ldots,a_t\rangle}=\sqrt{I}\). The inequality \(\text{ht}(I)\leq \text{ara}(I)\) holds true generally and in the case of equality, \(I\) is called set-theoretic complete intersection. Recently, \textit{K. Kimura} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 137, No. 11, 3627--3635 (2009; Zbl 1182.13013)] proved that the length of every Lyubeznik resolution of \(I\) is an upper bound for the arithmetical rank of \(I\). In the paper under review, the author uses this result to study the arithmetical rank of edge ideal of large classes of graphs with whiskers and in particular proves that the edge ideal of very clique-whiskering graph is a set-theoretic complete intersection. At the end of the paper, the author extends his study to other classes of squarefree monomial ideals, generated in any degree.