Complete ideals and multiplicities in two-dimensional regular local rings (Q371408)

Let \((R,\mathfrak{m},k)\) be a two dimensional regular local ring and let \(I\) be a complete \(\mathfrak{m}\)-primary ideal. Assume that \(I= K^nL\), where \(K\) is a simple complete \(\mathfrak{m}\)-primary ideal and either \(L=R\), or \(L\) is a complete \(\mathfrak{m}\)-primary ideal that does not have \(K\) as a factor. Let \((V,\mathfrak{m}_V,k_v)\) be the unique Rees valuation ring of \(K\) with corresponding valuation \(\nu\). The theory on complete ideals of \(R\) developed by Zariski implies that there exists a unique prime ideal \(P \in \)Min\((\mathfrak{m}R[It])\) such that \(V = R[It]_P \cap Q( R)\), where \(Q( R)\) denotes the quotient field of \(R\). In the present paper, the authors study Hilbert-Samuel multiplicity, normality and Cohen-Macaulayness of \(R[It]/P\), generalizing previous results in the relatively algebraically closed case from [\textit{C. Huneke} and \textit{J. D. Sally}, J. Algebra 115, No. 2, 481--500 (1988; Zbl 0658.13017)] and [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 216, No. 1, 1--11 Zbl 1232.13003)] and several others works, mainly of the same authors. Let \(N\) be the unique homogeneous maximal ideal of \(R[It]\), then \[ \displaystyle \text{e}\left(\frac{R[It]_N}{P_N}\right) = n [\overline{k}^{k_v} : k], \] and \(R[It]/P\) is normal if and only if \(k\) is relatively algebraically closed in \(k_v\). When \(k\neq \overline{k}^{k_v}\), they provide an example in which \(R[It]/P\) may fail to be even Cohen-Macaulay, and they show that in certain cases it can be Cohen-Macaulay with minimal multiplicity at its maximal ideal. Let \(I\) be a complete ideal in \(R\) and let \(a \in I\) be non-zero. Let \(S:=R[I/a]\) and \(T:=S_\mathcal{N}\), where \(\mathcal{N}\) is a height two maximal ideal of \(S\) that contains \(\mathfrak{m}S\). Let \(\mathfrak{p} \subseteq \mathcal{N}\) be a prime ideal of \(S\) minimal over \(\mathfrak{m}S\). If \(k\) is algebraically closed, Huneke and Sally prove in [Zbl 0658.13017] that \(T/\mathfrak{p}T\) is regular. The authors show that when \(k\) is relatively algebraically closed in \(k_v\), then in fact \(S/\mathfrak{p}\) is regular, and in particular so is \(T/\mathfrak{p}T\). They also provide examples to show that if one drops the relatively algebraically closed assumption, then \(S/\mathfrak{p}\) may fail to be regular.