Cohen-Macaulay fiber cones (Q4938524)

Let \((A, \mathfrak m)\) be a Noetherian local ring and \(I\) an ideal in~\(A\). The fiber cone of \(I\) is the graded ring \(F_{\mathfrak m}(I) = \bigoplus_{n \geq 0} I^n/ \mathfrak m I^n\). In the present paper, the authors study the Cohen-Macaulay property of \(F_{\mathfrak m}(I)\). First they show the converse to a result by \textit{K. Shah} [J. Algebra 143, No.~1, 156-172 (1991; Zbl 0752.13004); theorem~6]. It characterizes the Cohen-Macaulay property of \(F_{\mathfrak m}(I)\) by using its Hilbert polynomial. Next the authors define ideals having minimal mixed multiplicity. This notion is an analogue of ideals having minimal multiplicity. An ideal~\(I\) having minimal multiplicity satisfies nice properties. For example, the associated graded ring of \(I\) is Cohen-Macaulay if and only if the reduction number of \(I\) is at most one. An ideal of minimal mixed multiplicity satisfies a similar property: The fiber cone \(F_{\mathfrak m}(I)\) is Cohen-Macaulay if and only if the reduction number of~\(I\) is at most one. Finally, the authors study ideals generated by quadratic sequences. This notion was given by the second author. If \(I\) is generated by a quadratic sequence, then the defining ideal of the Rees algebra of \(I\) and hence the one of \(F_{\mathfrak m}(I)\) is generated by homogeneous elements of degree at most~\(2\). In this case, there is a certain good graded ring \(k[\Delta]\) such that \(F(I)\) has the same Hilbert polynomial as \(k[\Delta]\). For the entire collection see [Zbl 0921.00043].