A combinatorial proof of the Eisenbud-Goto conjecture for monomial curves and some simplicial semigroup rings (Q405850)

The famous Eisenbud-Goto conjecture asks whether \(\text{reg}~S/I\leq \deg S/I-\text{codim}~ S/I\) where \(S\) is a polynomial ring over a field \(k\), \(I\) a prime ideal of \(S\). Gruson-Lazarsfeld-Peskine [\textit{L. Gruson} et al., Invent. Math. 72, 491--506 (1983; Zbl 0565.14014)] proved this for the case \(\dim S/I=2\) using geometric methods. The conjecture is otherwise open even if \(S/I\) is a simplicial affine semigroup (i.e., monoid) ring. In the paper under review, the authors proves by combinatorial methods the Eisenbud-Goto conjecture for two dimensional affine semigroup rings, namely, homogeneous coordiante rings of monomial curves. This answers a question raised by Bruns, Gubeladze and Trung [\textit{W. Bruns} et al., Semigroup Forum 64, No. 2, 180--212 (2002; Zbl 1018.20048)]. Note that there are combinatorial interpretations for regularity, degree and codimension of two dimensional affine semigroup rings; see page 207 of the last paper.