The Hilbert-Kunz functions of two-dimensional rings of type ADE (Q330170)

Let \(k\) be an algebraically closed field of prime characteristic \(p\), let \(F\in k[x,y,z]\) be a homogeneous polynomial (where \(k[x,y,z]\) is \(\mathbb{Z}\)-graded, but not necessarily in the standard way), and set \(R:=k[x,y,z]/(F).\) The object of study of the paper under review is the Hilbert-Kunz function of \(R,\) which in this case is given, for any integer \(e\geq 0,\) by \[ HK(R,p^e):=\dim_k \left(k[x,y,z]/(F,x^{p^e},y^{p^e},z^{p^e})\right). \] For instance, a classical result of Kunz says that, when \(F=x^{n+1}-yz\) (\(n\geq 0\) an integer), the Hilbert-Kunz function of \(R\) is exactly \[ HK(R,p^e)=\left(2-\frac{1}{n+1}\right)p^{2e}-r+\frac{r^2}{n+1}, \] where \(p^e\equiv r\pmod{n+1}\), and \(r\) is chosen to be the smallest non-negative representative; notice that, in this case, \(R\) is a ring of type \(A_n.\) In the paper under review, the author computes explicitly the Hilbert-Kunz functions of the below rings: \[ \begin{aligned} D_n&:=k[x,y,z]/(x^2+y^{n-1}+yz^2),\\ E_6&:=k[x,y,z]/(x^2+y^3+z^4),\\ E_7&:=k[x,y,z]/(x^2+y^3+yz^3),\\ E_8&:=k[x,y,z]/(x^2+y^3+z^5). \end{aligned} \] The explicit formulas are located in Theorem 5.5, Theorem 5.3, Theorem 5.4 and Theorem 5.8 respectively; instead of writing down here these formulas, we prefer to briefly outline what is roughly the strategy to obtain them. Firstly, one has to study syzygy modules of the form \(\text{Syz}_R (x^{p^e},y^{p^e},z^{p^e}),\) where \(R\) is one of the above \(DE\) rings. Since \(R\) is, in this case, a graded ring of finite Cohen-Macaulay type, and all \(\text{Syz}_R (x^{p^e},y^{p^e},z^{p^e})\) are maximal Cohen-Macaulay (hereafter, MCM for short) modules, the isomorphism class of \(\text{Syz}_R (x^{p^e},y^{p^e},z^{p^e})\), for \(e\gg 0,\) depends only on the residue class of \(p^e\) modulo a certain invariant, and this invariant is essentially given for the number of isomorphism classes of indecomposable (non-free) MCM modules; this list is obtained using \textit{D. Eisenbud}'s theory of matrix factorizations (see [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 260, 35--64 (1980; Zbl 0444.13006)] and [\textit{G. J. Leuschke} and \textit{R. Wiegand}, Cohen-Macaulay representations. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (AMS) (2012; Zbl 1252.13001)], Chapter 7, for details about matrix factorizations). Secondly, by embedding \(R\) into a standard \(\mathbb{Z}\)-graded ring of type \(A_n,\) one can use Brenner-Trivedi (see [\textit{H. Brenner}, Math. Ann. 334, No. 1, 91--110 (2006; Zbl 1098.13017)] and [\textit{V. Trivedi}, J. Algebra 284, No. 2, 627--644 (2005; Zbl 1094.14024)]) geometric interpretation of Hilbert-Kunz functions and the theory of vector bundles to show that all \(\text{Syz}_R (x^{p^e},y^{p^e},z^{p^e})\) (again, for \(e\gg 0\)) are indecomposable. Finally, one calculates the Hilbert series of these indecomposable objects, which is likely the most technical part of the whole argument.