\(j\)-multiplicity and depth of associated graded modules (Q376015)

From the introduction: ``In this paper, we investigate the depth of the associated graded ring of an arbitrary ideal using the \(j\)-multiplicity introduced by \textit{R. Achilles} and \textit{M. Manaresi} [J. Math. Kyoto Univ. 33, No. 4, 1029--1046 (1993; Zbl 0816.13019)] and further studied in [\textit{H. Flenner} et al., Joins and intersections. Springer Monographs in Mathematics. Berlin: Springer (1999; Zbl 0939.14003)]; \textit{H. Flenner} and \textit{M. Manaresi}, Math. Z. 238, No. 1, 205--214 (2001; Zbl 1037.13001); J. Pure Appl. Algebra 165, No. 2, 155--168 (2001; Zbl 1095.13542); \textit{K. Nishida} and \textit{B. Ulrich}, J. Pure Appl. Algebra 214, No. 12, 2101--2110 (2010; Zbl 1204.13017)]. Let \((R,m)\) be a Noetherian local ring of dimension \(d>0\) and \(I\) an \(R\)-ideal. One can assign generalized Hilbert coefficients \(j_{i}(F)\) to every ideal filtration \(F=\{F_{j}\}_{j\geq 0}\) whose Rees algebra is finite over \(R[It]=\bigoplus _{j\geq 0}I^{j}t^{j}\) in the following way: let \(A:=\bigoplus _{j\geq 0}F_{j}/F_{j+1}\) be the associated graded ring of \(F\) , and denote by \(\Gamma _{m}(A)=H_{m}^{0}(A)\) the ideal of \(A\) of elements supported on \(m\). Since \(\Gamma _{m}(A)\) is annihilated by a large power of \(m\), it is a finite graded module over \(gr_{I}\) \( (R)\otimes R/m^{t}\) for some \(t\), hence its Hilbert polynomial is well defined: \[ P(j)=\sum_{i=0}^{d-1}(-1)^{i}j_{i}(F)\left( \begin{matrix} j+d-i-1 \\ d-i-1 \end{matrix} \right) \] We call \(P(j)\) the generalized Hilbert polynomial and \(j_{i}(F)\), \(0\leq i\leq d-1\), the generalized Hilbert coefficients of \(F\). The generalized Hilbert coefficients of the ideal filtration \(\{I^{j}\}_{j\geq 0}\) will simply be denoted by\(j_{i}(I)\). Notice that \(j_{0}(I)\) coincides with the \(j\) -multiplicity defined by Achilles and Manaresi in [Zbl 0816.13019]. Furthermore in the \(m\)-primary case \( j_{i}(I)=e_{i}(I)\), so our definition recovers the standard one. In Section 2, we prove a lower bound for the \(j\)-multiplicity of any ideal \(I\). The definition of ideals with minimal \(j\)-multiplicity is thus immediate. In Section 3, under certain residual conditions, we prove that for any ideal with minimal \(j\)-multiplicity, the associated graded ring is Cohen-Macaulay. Furthermore if the ambient ring is Gorenstein, then the associated graded ring is Gorenstein as well, which generalizes completely Sally's results. Finally, in Section 4, we deal with ideals having almost minimal \(j\)-multiplicity. We prove that, under the same residual conditions, the associated graded ring is almost Cohen--Macaulay. The technical novelty is a powerful combination of the methods used in the \( m \)-primary case with tools proper to residual intersection theory. This result can be viewed as a positive answer to Sally's conjecture for non \(m\) -primary ideals.'' Reviewer's note: The authors talk about associated graded rings, and refer to Judith Sally's work on them, in the introduction, but work with associated graded modules.