Multiplicities for arbitrary modules and reduction (Q370843)

Let \((R, \mathfrak m)\) be a local noetherian ring of dimension \(d\) and \(I\) a proper ideal of \(R\). If \(I\) is \(\mathfrak m\)-primary, the Hilbert-Samuel multiplicity \(\text{e}(I)= \lim_{n \to \infty} (d! \lambda(R/I^n)/n^d)\) is an invariant that characterizes the integral closure of the ideal \(I\). More precisely, as proved by Rees, if \(I \subseteq J\) are \(\mathfrak m\)-primary ideals in a formally equidimensional local ring \(R\), then \(I\) and \(J\) have the same integral closure (equivalently, \(I\) is a reduction of \(J\)) if and only if \(\text{e}(I)=\text{e}(J)\). \textit{R. Achilles} and \textit{M. Manaresi} [Math. Ann. 309, No. 4, 573--591 (1997; Zbl 0894.14005)] extended the concept of multiplicity to arbitrary ideals by introducing a multiplicity sequence \(c_0(I)\),\( \ldots, \) \(c_d(I)\) that generalizes the classical Hilbert-Samuel multiplicity. By using the coefficient \(c_0\) (which coincides with the so-called \(j\)-multiplicity, another invariant introduced by Achilles and Manaresi) \textit{H. Flenner} and \textit{M. Manaresi} [Math. Z. 238, No. 1, 205--214 (2001; Zbl 1037.13001)] gave the following generalization of the theorem of Rees: if \(I \subseteq J\) are ideals in a formally equidimensional local ring \(R\), then \(I\) and \(J\) have the same integral closure if and only if \(c_0(I_{\mathfrak p}) = c_0(J_{\mathfrak p})\) for every prime ideal \(\mathfrak p\) of \(R\). Another generalization of the classical Hilbert Samuel multiplicity of an ideal \(I \subseteq R\) of finite colength is the Buchsbaum-Rim multiplicity \(\text{e}_{BR}(E)\) which is defined for a submodule \(E\) of a finitely generated free \(R\)-module \(R^p\) such that \(R^p/E\) has finite length. It is already known that if \(R\) is formally equidimensional and \(E \subseteq F \subseteq R^p\) with \(R^p/E\) of finite length, then \(E\) is a reduction of \(F\) if and only if \(\text{e}_{BR}(E)=\text{e}_{BR}(F)\). In the case when \(E\) is an arbitrary submodule of \(R^p\), \textit{B. Ulrich} and \textit{J. Validashti} [Math. Res. Lett. 15, No. 1, 149--162 (2008; Zbl 1145.13001)] introduced an invariant \(j(E)\) that coincides with \(\text{e}_{BR}(E)\) when \(E\) has finite colength and is also the same as the \(j\)-multiplicity \(j(I)\) of Achilles and Manaresi in the ideal case \(I \subseteq R\). They also proved that \(E \subseteq F\) is a reduction if and only if \(j(E_{\mathfrak p})=j(F_{\mathfrak p})\) for all prime ideals \(\mathfrak p\). In this paper the authors introduce a multiplicity sequence \(c_k(E,N)\) with \(k=0,\ldots, d+p-1\) associated with a submodule \(E \subseteq R^p\) and an \(R\)-module \(N\) that generalizes the Buchsbaum-Rim multiplicity when \(E\) has finite colength in \(R^p\) as well as the multiplicity sequence \(c_k(I)\) of Achilles and Manaresi in the ideal case \(I \subseteq R\). The authors prove that this sequence behaves well with respect to general hyperplane sections and is an invariant up to reductions. They also state a reduction criterion that involves the \(c_0\) multiplicity at all the localizations. The paper also contains a rather extensive exposition of previously known results in the literature that relate to the topic presented.