On the Cohen-Macaulay property for quadratic tangent cones (Q311516)

Let \(K\) be a field and \(R=\bigoplus_{0\leq i} R_i\) be a standard-graded \(K\)-algebra (in other words, \(R_0=K\), \(R_1\) is a finite dimensional vector space over \(K\), and each \(R_i\) is equal to the \(i^{\mathrm{th}}\) power of \(R_1\)). This paper is concerned with three properties that \(R\) might possess: \[ \mathrm{G-quadratic }\implies\mathrm{Koszul }\implies\mathrm{quadratic}. \] The algebra \(R\) is ``quadratic'' if \(R\) is isomorphic to the quotient of a polynomial ring modulo an ideal which is generated by quadratic forms, ``Koszul'' if the resolution of \(K\) by free \(R\)-modules is a linear resolution, and ``\(G\)-quadratic'' if (after a possible change of coordinates) \(R\) is defined by an ideal whose Gröbner basis (with respect to some term order) consists of quadratic forms. The \(K\)-algebras studied in this paper all are of the form \(R_H\), where \(H\) is a numerical semigroup, \[ K[H]=K[\{t^h\mid h\in H\}] \] is the corresponding semigroup ring, \(\mathfrak m\) is the maximal ideal \((\{t^h\mid h\in H\})\) of \(K[H]\), and \(R_H\) is the associated graded ring \[ \mathrm{gr}_{\mathfrak m}K[H]=\bigoplus_{0\leq i}\mathfrak m^i/\mathfrak m^{i+1} \] of \(K[H]\). There are three main results in the paper. The first result states that if \(H\) is a numerical semigroup minimally generated by at most \(4\) elements, then \(R_H\) is quadratic if and only if \(R_H\) is \(G\)-quadratic; furthermore, if \(R_H\) is quadratic, then \(R_H\) is Cohen-Macaulay. The second result identifies all numerical semigroups \(H\) such that \(H\) has \(5\) minimal generators and \(R_H\) is a quadratic \(K\)-algebra which is not Cohen-Macaulay. The list of such algebras consists of two families and each family has three independent parameters. Each family on the list is in fact a \(G\)-quadratic \(K\)-algebra. The third result is that if \(H\) is a numerical semigroup minimally generated by \(5\) elements, and \(K\) is an algebraically closed field of characteristic not equal to \(2\), then \(R_H\) is Koszul if and only if it is \(G\)-quadratic. Furthermore, if the multiplicity of \(R_H\) is different from \(9\), \(10\), and \(11\), then \(R_H\) is quadratic if and only if it is \(G\)-quadratic. In this context, examples are provided with the multiplicity of \(R_H\) equal to \(9\) or \(11\) and \(R_H\) is quadratic but not Koszul. Some of the arguments rely on computer testing.