The trace of the canonical module (Q2327968)

Let \(R\) be a commutative ring. For an \(R\)-module \(M\) the trace of \(M\), denoted tr(\(M\)), as the sum of the ideals \(\phi(M)\), where the sum is taken over all \(R\)-module homomorphisms \(\phi: M \to R\). In the paper under review the authors show that the trace of the canonical module determines (canonical trace) the non-Gorenstein locus of a local Cohen-Macaulay ring. They call a local Cohen-Macaulay ring nearly Gorenstein, if its canonical trace contains the maximal ideal. The authors study the canonical trace for tensor products and Segre products of algebras, as well as of (squarefree) Veronese subalgebras. The results are used to classify the nearly Gorenstein Hibi rings.