Equality of ordinary and symbolic powers of Stanley-Reisner ideals (Q536163)

Let \(I_\Delta\) be the Stanley-Reisner ideal of a simplicial complex \(\Delta\). Given an integer \(m\geq 2\), some researchers are interested to know when \(I^m_\Delta\) is a Cohen-Macaulay ideal. A classical theorem [see, \textit{R. C. Cowsik, M. V Nori}, J. Indian Math. Soc., New Ser. 40, 217--222 (1976; Zbl 0437.14028)] implies that all ordinary powers \(I^m_\Delta\) are Cohen-Macaulay if and only if \(I_\Delta\) is a complete intersection. On the other hand, there are examples such that the second power \(I^2_\Delta\) is Cohen-Macaulay but the third power \(I^3_\Delta\) is not Cohen-Macaulay. In the paper under review the authors study when \(I^{(m)}_\Delta\) is Cohen-Macaulay and when \(I^{(m)}_\Delta= I^m_\Delta\), where \(I^{(m)}_\Delta\) denotes the \(m\)-th symbolic power of \(I_\Delta\). The authors give some combinatorial characterizations of such complexes in the two-dimensional case. As a consequence they determine all complexes for which \(I^m_\Delta\) is Cohen-Macaulay for some \(m\geq 2\). In particular, they show that there are complexes with \(I^{(2)}_\Delta= I^2_\Delta\) or \(I^{(3)}_\Delta= I^3_\Delta\) but \(I^{(m)}_\Delta\neq I^m_\Delta\) for all \(m\geq 4\) and that if \(I^{(m)}_\Delta= I^m_\Delta\) for some \(m\geq 4\), then \(I^{(m)}_\Delta= I^m_\Delta\) for all \(m\geq 1\). Similarly, there are complexes for which \(I^2_\Delta\) is Cohen-Macaulay but \(I^m_\Delta\) is not Cohen-Macaulay for all \(m\geq 3\) and if \(I^m_\Delta\) is Cohen-Macaulay for some \(m\geq 3\), then \(I_\Delta\) is a complete intersection.