The relevance of Freiman's theorem for combinatorial commutative algebra (Q2633096)

Let $X$ be a finite subset of $\mathbb{Z}^n$ with affine hull $A(X)$ and suppose $d=\dim A(X)$. Freiman proves that \[|2X|\geq (d+1)|X|-\binom{d+1}{2}.\] A monomial ideal $I$ of the polynomial ring $S = \mathbb{K}[x_1,\ldots,x_n]$ is quasi-equigenerated if the exponent vectors of all generators of $I$ belong to a hyperplane of $\mathbb{Z}^n$. Using Freiman's formula and its generalizations [\textit{K. Böröczky jun.} et al., Discrete Comput. Geom. 52, No. 4, 705--729 (2014; Zbl 1310.11015)], it is shown as the first main result of the paper under review that for any quasi-equigenerated monomial ideal $I$ with analytic spread $\ell(I)$ and for every integer $k\geq 1$, \[\mu(I^k)\geq \binom{\ell(I)+k-2}{k-1}\mu(I)-(k-1)\binom{\ell(I)+k-2}{k},\] where for a graded ideal $J$, one denotes by $\mu(J)$ the minimal number of generators of $J$. The above inequality in the special case of $k=2$ says \[\mu(I^2)\geq \ell(I)\mu(I)-\binom{\ell(I)}{2}.\] The authors call a quasi-equigenerated monomial ideal $I$ a Freiman ideal, if the equality occurs in the above inequality. In other words, a quasi-equigenerated monomial ideal is a Freiman ideal, if the set of its exponent vectors achieves Freiman's lower bound for its doubling. Equivalent conditions for a quasi-equigenerated monomial ideal $I$ to be a Freiman ideal, in terms of vanishing of certain entries of the $h$-vector of the fiber cone $F(I)$, are provided. Moreover, it is shown that $I$ is Freiman if and only if $F(I)$ is Cohen-Macaulay and its defining ideal has a $2$-linear resolution. Finally, finite simple graphs whose edge ideals or matroidal ideals of its cycle matroids are Freiman ideals are classified.