No label defined (Q4028604)

[For the entire collection see Zbl 0746.00076.] In this paper we define a new invariant which we call the index of a module. It is offered as a possible benchmark for the degree shifting process. We also present several associated invariants which in different contexts may serve the purpose better. The index is defined in terms of homogeneous systems of parameters for cohomology rings and modules. We begin in Section 2 with some preliminary results which are necessary for the definition of the index. Section 3 is mostly a discussion of notation and background for varieties of modules. Although Section 4 gives some review of Tate cohomology and duality, its main aim is the proof of Theorem 4.1. This is the last major obstacle in the path toward defining the index in Section 5. Section 6 also discusses the behavior of the index under induction and restriction to subgroups and presents several examples. Except for notation and background the last two sections are independent of the rest of the paper. Section 7 focuses on quasi-regular sequences. Section 8 discusses two questions about contravariantly finite subcategories that arose at the Tsukuba conference.