Borel-plus-powers monomial ideals (Q2477637)

Let \(S=K[x_1,\dots,x_n]\) be a polynomial ring over a field \(K\) and let \({\mathbf a}=(a_1,\dots,a_n)\) be a sequence of positive integers with \(2\leq a_1\leq a_2\leq \cdots\leq a_n\). By \textit{G. F. Clemens} and \textit{B. Lindström} [J. Comb. Theory 7, 230--238 (1969; Zbl 0186.01704)], if \(I\) is a graded ideal of \(S\) containing \(x_1^{a_1},\dots, x_n^{a_n}\), there exists a unique \({\mathbf a}\)-lex-plus-power ideal with the same Hilbert function as \(I\). \textit{J. Mermin, I. Peeva} and \textit{M. Stillmann} [Adv. Math. 217, No. 5, 2206--2230 (2008; Zbl 1141.13016)] conjectured that the \({\mathbf a}\)-lex-plus-power ideal has the largest Betti numbers among all \({\mathbf a}\)-Borel-plus-power ideals with the same Hilbert function, and proved this is true if \(a_1=\cdots=a_n=2\). In this paper the conjecture is proved for all sequences \({\mathbf a}\), and the result is used to prove the lex-plus-power conjecture for ideals containing \(x_1^p,\dots, x_n^p\), with \(p\) prime, in the case of characteristic 0. Moreover the author studies the graded Betti numbers of monomial ideals containing the square of the variables, in arbitrary characteristic.