Briançon-Skoda exponents and the maximal root of reduced Bernstein-Sato polynomials (Q2674692)

Let $f$ be a holomorphic function on a complex manifold $X$ of dimension $d_X$, and $Z:=f^{-1}(0)$. Possibly shrinking $X$, assume that the Bernstein-Sato polynomial $b_f(s)$ exists. Let $-\widetilde{\alpha}_f$ be the maximal root of the reduced Bernstein-Sato polynomial $b_f(s)/(s+1)$. When $Z$ is singular, it is known that $\widetilde{\alpha}_f$ is a positive rational number and $\widetilde{\alpha}_f \leq d_X/2$. The Briançon-Skoda exponent is defined by \[ e^{\operatorname{BS}}(f):=\min\{ k \in \mathbf{N} \mid f^k \in (\partial f ) \} \] possibly replacing $X$ with an open neighborhood of $Z$. Here $(\partial f)\subseteq \mathcal{O}_X$ is the Jacobian ideal of $f$. Briançon-Skoda proved that $e^{\operatorname{BS}}(f) \leq d_X$. The main result of the paper under review (Theorem 1) refines Briançon-Skoda's result as \[ e^{\operatorname{BS}}(f) \leq \lfloor d_X - 2\widetilde{\alpha}_f \rfloor +1. \] To prove the main theorem, the authors use the microlocal $V$-filtration $\widetilde{V}$ on $\mathcal{O}_X$. The authors show the inclusion (Theorem 2) \[ \widetilde{V}^{\alpha} \mathcal{O}_X \subseteq (\partial f)\text{ for }\alpha > d_X - \widetilde{\alpha}_f, \] and this immediately implies the main theorem of the paper. Note that $Z$ has only rational singularities if and only if $\widetilde{\alpha}_f > 1$. In this case, the main theorem yields that \[ e^{\operatorname{BS}}(f) \leq d_X - 2. \]