Gröbner bases for families of affine or projective schemes (Q2469230)

Let \(T=T(x_1,\dots,x_n)\) be the term monoid with a fixed term order and \(I\) an ideal in the polynomial ring \(A[x]=A[x_1,\dots,x_n]\) over the commutative noetherian ring \(A\). The paper presents a careful study of Gröbner bases of the affine family \(\phi:\;\text{Spec}(A[x]/I)\to\; \text{Spec}(A)\) with fibres \(I_p=I\otimes_A k(p)\) for \(p\in\;\text{Spec}(A)\). It is well known that there is a finite stratification of \(\text{Spec}(A)\) into constructible sets with ``constant'' Gröbner bases, i.e., for \(p_1,p_2\in\;\text{Spec}(A)\) in the same set we have equal leading term ideals \(\Sigma(I_{p_1}) =\Sigma(I_{p_2})\subset T\). The paper starts with some carefully chosen examples to demonstrate that this stratification has no ``continuity'' properties in general. Then the author studies Gröbner bases parameterizations, i.e., subschemes \(Y\) of \(\text{Spec}(A)\) with the property that there exist global sections \(G_Y=\{g_1,\dots,g_m\}\subset I_Y(Y)\) such that for all \(p\in Y\) the images \(g_1^p,\dots,g_m^p\) form the unique reduced Gröbner basis of the fibre \(I_p\). For connected subschemes \(Y\) this implies \(\Sigma(I_p)\) constant for \(p\in Y\). In general, a subscheme \(Y\) is a parametric set iff there exist such global sections and the fibres \(\Sigma(I_p)\) are constant. A Gröbner cover of \(\text{Spec}(A)\) is a finite decomposition into parametric sets \((Y,G_Y)\) such that \(\cup\, Y=\;\text{Spec}(A)\). For \(Y=\;\text{Spec}(A)\) such global sections exist if and only if \(I\) is monic, i.e., for any \(f\in I\) there is a monic polynomial \(g\in I\) with \(lt(g)=lt(f)\). In this case there exists a uniquely defined reduced Gröbner basis of \(I\) and \(A/I\) is a free \(A\)-module with basis \(T\setminus \Sigma(I)\). A subscheme \(Y\subset\;\text{Spec}(A)\) is parametric if and only if \(I_Y(Y)\subset {\mathcal O}_Y(Y)[x]\) is monic. In this case \(\phi\) is flat over \(Y\). \(p\in\;\text{Spec}(A)\) is lucky iff \(I_p\) is monic and \(\Sigma(I_p)=\Sigma(I)\). The set of unlucky primes is a closed subscheme \(V(I)\subset\;\text{Spec}(A)\), the singular variety. For integral domains \(A\) this concept from \textit{E. A. Arnold} [J. Symb. Comput. 35, No. 4, 403--419 (2003; Zbl 1046.13018)]; \textit{F. Pauer} [J. Symb. Comput. 14, No. 5, 471--482 (1992; Zbl 0776.13014)]; the reviewer [J. Symb. Comput. 15, No. 2, 199--209 (1993; Zbl 0787.13016)] turns out to be equivalent to the discriminant ideal and essential specializations considered by \textit{V. Weispfenning} [J. Symb. Comput. 36, No. 3--4, 669--683 (2003; Zbl 1054.13015)]. A locally closed subscheme \(Y\subset\;\text{Spec}(A)\) with \(\overline{Y}=V({\mathfrak a})\) is parametric iff all \(p\in Y\) are lucky for \(I\cdot A/{\mathfrak a}[x]\). Section 5 contains a comparison between Gröbner covers and comprehensive Gröbner bases as discussed \textit{V. Weispfenning} [J. Symb. Comput. 14, No.~1, 1--29 (1992; Zbl 0784.13013); ibid. 36, No. 3--4, 669--683 (2003; Zbl 1054.13015)] and the main result: Let \(L\) be a locally closed subset of \(\text{Spec}(A)\). Then there exists exactly one irreducible, small and locally maximal Gröbner cover of \(L\). For homogeneous ideals \(I\subset A[x]\) this Gröbner cover is exactly the stratification of \(L\) into \(\Sigma(I_p)\) constant strata.