Closure operations that induce big Cohen-Macaulay modules and classification of singularities (Q314249)

Hereafter, \(R\) will always denote a commutative Noetherian ring. If \((R,\mathfrak{m})\) is local, then an \(R\)-module \(B\) is called a big Cohen-Macaulay module for \(R\) if \(\mathfrak{m}B\neq B\), and any system of parameters for \(R\) is a regular sequence on \(B\); moreover, if \(B\) is also an algebra, then one says that \(B\) is a big Cohen-Macaulay algebra for \(R\). It is known that big Cohen-Macaulay modules exist for local rings containing a field (see [\textit{M. Hochster}, Topics in the homological theory of modules over commutative rings. American Mathematical Society (AMS) (1975; Zbl 0302.13003)]) and for local rings of mixed characteristic of dimension at most \(3\) (see [\textit{R. C. Heitmann}, Ann. Math. (2) 156, No. 2, 695--712 (2002; Zbl 1076.13511)] and [\textit{M. Hochster}, J. Algebra 254, No. 2, 395--408 (2002; Zbl 1078.13506)]); however, it is still an open problem whether these modules exists over mixed characteristic rings of higher dimension. Over local rings containing a field, the existence of big Cohen-Macaulay modules was achieved mainly because of the existence of a closure operation on modules, the so-called tight closure (see [\textit{C. Huneke}, Tight closure and its applications. With an appendix by Melvin Hochster: The notion of tight closure in equal characteristic zero. Providence, RI: AMS, American Mathematical Society (1996; Zbl 0930.13004)]); by a closure operation \(\text{cl}\) we mean an assignment \(n\longmapsto N_M^{\text{cl}}\), where \(N\subseteq M\) are finitely generated \(R\)-modules, such that \(N\subseteq N_M^{\text{cl}}\), \((N_M^{\text{cl}})_M^{\text{cl}} =N_M^{\text{cl}}\), and that, if \(N\subseteq N'\subseteq M\) are finitely generated \(R\)-modules, then \(N_M^{\text{cl}}\subseteq (N')_M^{\text{cl}}.\) So, as strategy to tackle the issue of the existence of big Cohen-Macaulay \(R\)-modules, one tries to look for a closure operation over local rings of mixed characteristic which would play the role of tight closure in the case our ring contains a field. From now on, unless otherwise is specified, \((R,\mathfrak{m})\) will denote a local domain. Building upon previous work by \textit{G. D. Dietz} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 138, No. 11, 3849--3862 (2010; Zbl 1206.13017); ``Axiomatic closure operations, phantom extensions, and solidity'', Preprint, \url{arxiv:1511.04286}], in the paper under review the author studies what she called a Dietz closure; that is (see Definition 2.9), a closure operation \(\text{cl}\) on \((R,\mathfrak{m})\) which, in addition, given finitely generated \(R\)--modules \(N,M,W\) with \(N\subseteq M\), satisfies the below properties: {\parindent=0.7cm \begin{itemize}\item[--] If \(f:\;M\rightarrow W\) is an \(R\)-linear map, then \(f(N_M^{\text{cl}})\subseteq f(N)_W^{\text{cl}}.\) \item[--] If \(N_M^{\text{cl}}=N\), then \(0_{M/N}^{\text{cl}}=0\). \item[--] \(\mathfrak{m}_R^{\text{cl}}=\mathfrak{m}\). \item[--] If \(x_1,\ldots ,x_{k+1}\) is part of a system of parameters for \(R\), and there is an \(R\)-epimorphism \(f:\;M\rightarrow R/(x_1,\ldots ,x_k)\) with \(f(v)\equiv x_{k+1} \pmod{(x_1,\ldots ,x_k)}\) for some \(v\in M\), then \((Rv)_M^{\text{cl}}\cap\ker (f)\subseteq ((x_1,\ldots ,x_k)v)_M^{\text{cl}}.\) \end{itemize}} It is known that, for a local domain, the existence of a Dietz closure is equivalent to the existence of big Cohen-Macaulay modules. In what follows, we single out the main results of the paper under review. First of all, it is shown (see Theorem 5.1) that, given a Dietz closure \(\text{cl}\) on a local domain \((R,\mathfrak{m})\), there is a big Cohen--Macaulay \(R\)-module \(B\) such that, for any finitely generated \(R\)--modules \(N\subseteq M\), \(N_M^{\text{cl}}\subseteq N_M^{\text{cl}_B}\), where \(\text{cl}_B\) is defined (see Definition 2.3) as follows: \[ u\in N_M^{\text{cl}_B}\text{ if, for all }b\in B,\;b\otimes u\in\text{Im} \left(B\otimes_R N\rightarrow B\otimes_R M\right). \] In other words (slightly loosely speaking), \(\text{cl}\) is contained in \(\text{cl}_B\). It is known that, for a complete local domain of prime characteristic tight closure, and also solid closure (see [\textit{M. Hochster}, Contemp. Math. 159, 103--172 (1994; Zbl 0812.13006)]) are Dietz closures, whereas Frobenius closure is not. In this paper, it is shown (see Corollary 6.2) that integral closure is not a Dietz closure for dimmension bigger or equal than \(2\), and that, for regular local rings containing the rational numbers of dimension bigger or equal than \(4\), solid closure is not a Dietz closure (see Theorem 6.7). Finally, it is proved (see Theorems 5.9 and 5.10) that, if a local domain \(R\) has at least one Dietz closure, then \(R\) is regular if and only if all Dietz closures on \(R\) are trivial.