On the resolution of ideals of fat points (Q5945613)

Let \(P_0, \dots, P_r\) be distinct points in \(\mathbb{P} ^n\) with associated primes \(p_0, \dots, p_r\) in \(K[X _0, \dots, X _n]\) (\(K\) an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero); the subscheme \(X= \{(P _0, a _0), \dots, (P _r, a _r) \}\) associated to the homogeneous ideal \(I= p ^{a_0} _0 \cap \dots \cap p ^{a_r} _r\) (with \(a_0 \geq \dots \geq a_r\) non negative integers) is called a subscheme of fat points. Among many open questions on this subject there is that of determining minimal free resolutions of such ideals. In this paper the author studies the case of \(r+1 \leq n+1\) general fat points: At first she computes the Hilbert function of the ideal \(I\), then, using the fact that \(I\) is a monomial ideal, she determines a minimal system of generators of \(I\); as a consequence she can prove that the ideal associated to two fat points in \(\mathbb{P} ^n\), as well as the ideal associated to \(r+1 \leq n\) general fat points with the same multiplicities, is a splittable ideal and this is a first step in constructing a minimal free resolution of \(I\); in particular she computes the Betti numbers of the ideals associated to two fat points, showing that they depend only on \(a_0\).