Determinantal schemes and pure O-sequences (Q2349931)

Let \(k\) be an infinite field and \(S = k[x_0,\ldots,x_n]\) be the polynomial ring over \(k\). Let \(M=(f_{ij})\) be a homogeneous \(t\times (t+c-1)\) matrix, i.e., a matrix with polynomial entries such that all its minors are homogeneous polynomials. Assume that \(A=(a_{i,j})\) be the degree matrix of \(M\) with \(a_{ij}=-\text{deg}\;f_{ji}\). Let \(I_{\max}(M)\) be the ideal generated by the maximal minors of \(M\). The authors assume that \(I_{\max}(M)\) is a standard determinantal ideal, i.e., its height is \(c\). Then they prove that if all the rows in the degree matrix \(A\) are equal, the \(h\)-vector of \(I_{\max}(M)\) is a log-concave pure O-sequence. They show that such matrices correspond to level standard determinantal ideals. They interpret the \(h\)-vectors of such ideals as \(h\)-vectors of some representable matroids, and then apply the results of \textit{J. Huh} [Adv. Math. 270, 49--59 (2015; Zbl 1304.05013)] for log-concavity to prove that they are pure O-sequences, i.e., they can be described as the \(f\)-vector of a pure order ideal. They conjecture that the strong converse of their main theorem holds, i.e., if the \(h\)-vector of a standard determinantal ideal is a pure O-sequence, then all the rows in the degree matrix are equal.