No label defined (Q4344940)

Let \(I\) denote an ideal of a local Noetherian ring \((R, \mathfrak m).\) Let \(R[It]\), resp. \(\text{gr}_I(R)\), denote the Rees ring, resp. the form ring, of \(I.\) In Math. Z. 168, 531-556 (1984; Zbl 0541.13010), \textit{U. Grothe, M. Herrmann} and \textit{U. Orbanz} have shown that the number of homogeneous elements among a system of parameters of \(R[It]\) is bounded above by dim \(R - l(I) + 2,\) where \(l(I)\) denotes the analytic spread of \(I.\) In the paper under review it is shown that the number of homogeneous elements among a system of parameters of \(\text{gr}_I(R)\) is bounded above by \[ 2 \dim R - l(I) - \dim R/I. \] In the case of an equimultiple ideal, i.e. \(\text{height }I = l(I),\) this provides a Cohen-Macaulay criterion for the form ring \(\text{gr}_I(R),\) extending results of \textit{J. D. Sally} [J. Math. Kyoto Univ. 17, 19-21 (1977; Zbl 0353.13017)] and \textit{P. Valabrega} and \textit{G. Valla} [Nagoya Math. J. 72, 93-101 (1978; Zbl 0362.13007)].