Linear syzygies, flag complexes, and regularity (Q314630)

Let \(S=\mathbb{K}[x_1,\dots,x_n]\) be the polynomial ring in \(n\) variables over a field \(\mathbb{K}\) and suppose that \(I\subset S\) is a monomial ideal. The goal of the paper under review is to bound the regularity of \(S/I\) in terms of the number of variables \(n\) for specified classes of ideals. Assume that \(I\subset S\) is a monomial ideal. For any positive integer \(p\), the \(\mathbb{K}\)-algebra \(S/I\) is said to satisfy the property \(N_p\) if \(\beta_{i,j}(S/I)=0\) for all \(1\leq i<p\) and \(j\neq i+1\). The authors prove that for every positive integer \(r\), there exists a monomial ideal \(I\) generated in degree two such that \(S/I\) satisfies \(N_2\) and \(\mathrm{reg}(S/I)= r\). However, it is shown that the regularity of \(S/I\) is small if it is moreover a Gorenstein ring. More precisely, it is proved that if \(I\) is a monomial ideal such that \(S/I\) is Gorenstein and satisfies \(N_2\) (resp. \(N_3\)), then \(\mathrm{reg}(S/I)\leq 4\) (resp. \(\mathrm{reg}(S/I)\leq 2\)). This in particular implies that for \(d>3\), every triangulation of a \(d\)-sphere contains either a hollow square or a hollow simplex. The same holds for triangulations of \(d\)-manifolds for \(d>4\). If \(\Delta\) is a flag simplicial complex with no induced \(4\)-cycles, then \(\Delta\) is said to be flag-no-square. Also, a codimension \(1\) face of \(\Delta\) is called free, if it is contained in only one facet. The last result of this paper states that if \(\Delta\) is a flag-no-square simplicial complex with no free codimension \(1\) face, then the regularity of its Stanley-Reisner ring is less than \(\log_2(\log_2(n))+3\), where \(n\) is the number of vertices of \(\Delta\).