On positive affine monoids. (Q412561)

An affine monoid \(S=\langle s_1,\dots,s_n\rangle\) is a finitely generated submonoid of \(\mathbb Z^r\) for some \(r\in\mathbb N\). The group generated by \(S\) inside of \(\mathbb Z^r\) is denoted by \(gp(S)\), and the normalization of \(S\) is the monoid defined by \[ \overline S:=\{x\in gp(S);\;mx\in S\text{ for some }m\in\mathbb N,\;m>1\}. \] An affine monoid is called positive if zero is the only element of \(S\) whose inverse in \(gp(S)\) also lies in \(S\). A rank one positive affine monoid with \(\gcd(s_1,\dots,s_n)=1\) is called a numerical monoid. Equivalently, a numerical monoid is a submonoid of \(\mathbb N\) with a finite set of gaps, \(\mathbb N\setminus S\). It is not necessarily true that for a positive affine monoid \(S\), the set of gaps, defined by \(H(S):=\overline S\setminus S\), is finite. The author focuses on positive affine monoids for which \(H(S)\) is finite. This is because of a consequence in commutative algebra. For a positive affine monoid \(S\) with \(H(S)\) finite, the \(k[S]\)-module \(k[\overline S]/k[S]\) has finite length. The techniques of this paper are mostly combinatorial, but interesting connections to objects from commutative algebra are discussed. For example, the author considers a result of \textit{Ngô Viêt Trung} and \textit{Lê Tuân Hoa} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 298, 145-167 (1986; Zbl 0631.13020)], which characterizes the positive affine monoids \(S\) that have Cohen-Macaulay monoid rings \(k[S]\), and gives consequences for the study of the gap set \(H(S)\). Several concepts that are well-studied for numerical monoids are adapted to this higher rank setting of positive affine monoids. The author carefully considers the iterated Frobenius numbers of a positive affine monoid \(S\), generalizing the pseudo-Frobenius numbers and type of a numerical monoid. The author presents a natural higher dimensional version of symmetric numerical monoids, defining symmetric and almost-symmetric positive affine monoids. These higher rank classes of monoids lead the author to consider certain posets whose elements are positive affine monoids and to study their maximal elements.