Invariants of the diagonal \(C_{p}\)-action on \(V_{3}\) (Q2509267)

Suppose that \({\mathbf F}\) is a field, \(G\) is a finite group and \(V\) is a finitely generated module over the group ring \({\mathbf F}G\). Then there is an induced action by algebra automorphisms of \(G\) on \({\mathbf F}[V]\), the symmetric algebra of the dual of \(V\). The subalgebra of fixed points, \({\mathbf F}[V]^G\), is known as the ring of invariants of the representation \(V\), and is a finitely generated \({\mathbf F}\)-algebra. This paper is concerned with the case \({\mathbf F}\) has characteristic \(p\) for a prime number \(p\) and \(G=C_p\) is cyclic of order \(p\), the fundamental modular case. For a cyclic group, a representation is determined by the Jordan canonical form of the generator. Over a field of characteristic \(p\), if \(n\leq p\) then the \(n\times n\) matrix consisting of a single Jordan block with eigenvalue \(1\) has order \(p\); denote the corresponding indecomposable representation of \(C_p\) by \(V_n\). Since \(1\) is the only \(p^{\text{ th}}\) root of unity over a field of characteristic \(p\), we see that \(V_1, V_2, \ldots, V_p\) is a complete list, up to isomorphism, of indecomposable \({\mathbf F}C_p\)-modules. Explicit generating sets for \({\mathbf F}[V_n]^{C_p}\) are known for \(n=1,2,\ldots, 5\) but the problem remains open for \(n>5\). Explicit generating sets are known for \({\mathbf F}[mV_2]^{C_p}\) and \({\mathbf F}[V_2\oplus V_3]^{C_p}\). The paper under review gives a generating set for \({\mathbf F}[2V_3]^{C_p}\). A recent preprint by \textit{A. Duncan, M. LeBlanc, M. Roth} and \textit{D.~L. Wehlau} [A SAGBI Basis for \(F[V_2\oplus V_2\oplus V_3]^{C_p}\), accepted for publication in J. Can. Math. Soc.], gives a generating set for \({\mathbf F}[2V_2\oplus V_3]^{C_p}\). Modulo the observation that \({\mathbf F}[V\oplus V_1]^{C_p}={\mathbf F}[V]^{C_p}\otimes {\mathbf F}[V_1]\), these are the only cases of decomposable modular representations where explicit generating sets are known. By a result of \textit{G. Ellingsrud} and \textit{T. Skjelbred} [Compos. Math. 41, 233--244 (1980; Zbl 0438.13007)], the depth of \({\mathbf F}[V]^{C_p}\) is \(\text{min}\{\dim(V),\dim(V^{C_p})+2\}\). Thus \(V_4\oplus V_2\) is the only essential case where the non-Cohen-Macaulay defect is less than \(3\) and explicit generating sets are not known. Let \(\sigma\) denote a generator for \(C_p\) for \(p\geq 3\) and choose a basis \(x_1,y_1,z_1,x_2,y_2,z_2\) for \(2V^*_3\) so that \(\sigma(x_i)=x_i\), \(\sigma(y_i)=y_i+x_i\) and \(\sigma(z_i)=z_i+y_i\). The generating set for \({\mathbf F}[2V_3]^{C_p}\), described in Theorem~4.1, consists of orbit products of variables, selected elements from the image of the transfer homomorphism, and six prime-independent or ``rational invariants'': \(x_i,d_i:=y_i^2-2x_iz_i-x_iy_i, u:=x_2y_1-x_1y_2, w:=z_1x_2-y_1y_2+x_1z_2+x_1y_2\). Thus the result confirms the ``Rationals, Norms and Transfers'' conjecture [\S 3 of the reviewer's article in: Invariant theory in all characteristics. Proc. workshop inv. theory, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada 2002. CRM Proc. Lect. Notes 35, 241--249 (2004; Zbl 1094.13008)]. The constructed generating set is in fact a SAGBI basis using the graded reverse lexicographic order with \(x_1<y_1<z_1<x_2<y_2<z_2\). Recall that a set is a SAGBI basis if the lead monomials generate the lead term algebra. The authors prove that the given set of invariants is a SAGBI basis, and hence a generating set, by computing the Hilbert series of the algebra generated by the lead monomials of the given set of invariants and comparing the result to the Hilbert series of \({\mathbf F}[2V_3]^{C_p}\), computed in MAGMA [\textit{W. Bosma, J. Cannon, C. Playoust}, J. Symb. Comput. 24, No. 3--4, 235--265 (1997; Zbl 0898.68039)] using scripts written by Gregor Kemper implementing the algorithms from [\textit{G. Almkvist, R. Fossum}, Semin. d'Algebre Paul Dubreil, Proc., Paris 1976--1977, Lect. Notes Math. 641, 1--111 (1978; Zbl 0381.16015)] and [\textit{I. Hughes, G. Kemper}, Commun. Algebra 28, No. 4, 2059--2088 (2000; Zbl 0965.13004)].