Test modules to calculate Dutta multiplicities (Q5929448)

The first result gives a characterization of the Dutta multiplicity introduced by \textit{S. P. Dutta} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 103, No. 2, 344-346 (1983; Zbl 0653.13018)]. Positivity of the Dutta multiplicity is related to the positivity conjecture of Serre for homological intersection multiplicity. The second result is that if for a local ring there exists a test module then the Dutta multiplicity is positive.