Standard decompositions in generic coordinates (Q357871)

Let \(S\) be the polynomial ring \(K[x_1,\dots , x_n]\) over a field \(K\). Let \({\mathcal A}\) be a subset of the variables \(\{x_1,\dots , x_c\}\). Set \(k[{\mathcal A}] = k[x_i | x_i\in {\mathcal A}]\). We say that a homogeneous element \(m\in M\) is \({\mathcal A}\)-standard if the map \(k[{\mathcal A}]\to M\) with \(1\mapsto m\) is a monomorphism. Let \(m_1, \dots ,m_s \in M\) and \({\mathcal A}_1,\dots ,{\mathcal A}_s\) be subsets of the variables \(\{x_1,\dots, x_c\}\). A direct sum of vector spaces \(M =\bigoplus_{1\leq i\leq s} k[{\mathcal A}_i]m_i\) is called a standard decomposition of \(M\) if \(m_i\) is \({\mathcal A}_i\)-standard for each \(i\). We say that the decomposition is nested if the \({\mathcal A}_i\) are nested subsets of \(\{x_1,\dots , x_c\}\), that is, for each \(i, j\) one of \({\mathcal A}_i,{\mathcal A}_j\) is contained in the other. The Stanley depth of a finitely generated multigraded \(S\)-module \(M\), as defined for example in [\textit{M. R. Pournaki} et al., Notices Am. Math. Soc. 56, No. 9, 1106--1108 (2009; Zbl 1177.13056)], is denoted by \(\mathrm{sdepth}(M)\) and it is conjectured to be bigger than or equal to the depth of \(M\), \(\mathrm{depth}(M)\) (see, \textit{R. P. Stanley} [Invent. Math. 68, 175--193 (1982; Zbl 0516.10009)]). This conjecture has been studied from an algebraic point of view by \textit{W. Herzog} et al. [J. Algebr. Comb. 27, No. 1, 113--125 (2008; Zbl 1131.13020); J. Algebra 322, No. 9, 3151--3169 (2009; Zbl 1186.13019)], among others. \textit{A. S. Jahan} [Manuscr. Math. 130, No. 4, 533--550 (2009; Zbl 1183.13013)] observes that, by Alexander duality, Stanley's conjecture is equivalent to the statement that every multigraded finitely generated module has a standard decomposition in which the \(m_i\) are multihomogeneous elements of degrees \(\leq \mathrm{reg} (M)\), where \(\mathrm{reg} (M)\) denotes the Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity. In the paper under review the authors show that this form of the conjecture becomes easy if, instead of the variables \(x_i\), we allow ourselves to use generic coordinates. They prove the following result. Theorem. If \(M\) is a graded finitely generated \(S\)-module and \(z_1,\dots, z_c\in S\) are sufficiently general linear forms, then there is a nested standard decomposition \(M =\bigoplus_{1\leq i\leq s} k[{\mathcal B}_i]m_i\) such that \({\mathcal B}_i\subset\{z_1,\dots, z_c\}\) and the \(m_i\) are homogeneous elements of degrees \(\leq \mathrm{reg}(M)\). If \(M\) is multigraded with respect to the \(x_i\), then the \(m_i\) may be taken to be multihomogeneous with respect to the \(x_i\).