Asymptotic Hilbert polynomials and limiting shapes (Q2348117)

This paper studies symbolic powers of homogeneous radical ideals \(I\) of \(R = k[\mathbb P^n] = k[x_1, \dots, x_{n+1}]\) where \(k\) is an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero. Recall that the \(m\)th symbolic power of \(I\) is defined to be \[ I^{(m)} = R \cap \bigcap _{Q \in \text{Ass}(I)}(I^m)_Q \] where the localizations are embedded in a field of fractions of \(R\). It is well-known (using a theorem of Zariski and Nagata) that \[ I^{(m)} = \bigcap_{p \in V(I)}M_p^m \] where \(M_p\) is the maximal ideal of a point \(P\) and \(V(I)\) is the set of zeroes of \(I\). In addition, as the authors point out, the \(m\)th symbolic power is the set of polynomials which vanish to order \(m\) along \(V(I)\) and so provides geometric information about \(I\). Unfortunately, calculating \(I^{(m)}\) is very challenging. Thus, it is natural to try to compute asymptotic versions (by letting \(m\) grow) of usual invariants of interest, such as the Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity and the initial degree of an ideal. In this direction, \textit{M. Mustaţǎ} [J. Algebra 256, No. 1, 229--249 (2002; Zbl 1076.13500)] and \textit{S. Mayes} [Commun. Algebra 42, No. 5, 2299--2310 (2014; Zbl 1298.13021)] and [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 218, No. 3, 381--390 (2014; Zbl 1283.13025)] connect volumes of complements of limiting shapes and the asymptotic multiplicity for ideals of points. More precisely, using the degree reverse lexicographic order, we let gin\((I^{(m)})\) be the generic initial ideal of \(I^{(m)}\) and define the \textit{limiting shape} of \(I\) to be \[ \Delta(I) = \bigcup_{m=1}^{\infty} \frac{P(\text{gin}(I^{(m)}))}{m} \] where \(P(J)\) denotes the Newton polytope for a monomial ideal \(J\). If \(\Gamma(I)\) is the closure of the complement of \(\Delta(I)\) in \(\mathbb R_{\geq 0}^n\) and \(I\) is the zero-dimensional radical ideal of \(r\) points in \(\mathbb P^n\), then \[ \text{vol}(\Gamma(I)) = \frac{r}{n!}. \] The authors of this paper generalize this relationship for higher dimensional objects. In particular, the authors introduce the \textit{asymptotic Hilbert function} \[ \text{aHF}_I(t) : = \lim_{m \rightarrow \infty} \frac{\text{HF}_{I^{(m)}}(mt)}{m^n} \] and the \textit{asymptotic Hilbert polynomial} of \(I\) \[ \text{aHP}_I(t) := \lim_{m \rightarrow \infty} \frac{\text{HP}_{I^{(m)}}(mt)}{m^n}. \] Here HF\(_J(t) = \dim_k(R_t/J_t)\) denotes the usual Hilbert function of a homogeneous ideal \(J \subseteq R\) and \(HP_J\) is the usual Hilbert polynomial of \(J\). The main theorem is: If \(I\) is a homogeneous radical ideal, then for each integer \(t \geq 0\), we have \[ \text{vol}(\Gamma(I) \cap \{(x_1, \dots, x_n) \mid x_1 + \cdots x_n \leq t\}) = \text{aHF}_I(t). \] Moreover, for an ideal of \(r\) points in \(\mathbb P^n\) and \(t >> 0\) we have \[ \text{aHF}_I(t) = \text{aHP}_I(t) = \frac{r}{n!}. \]