Degree bounds for syzygies of invariants (Q596602)

Let \(G\) denote a linearly reductive group and let \(V\) be an \(n\)-dimensional representation. Let \(f_1,\ldots, f_r\) be minimal homogeneous generators of the ring of invariants \(R = K[V]^G, K\) a field, whose degrees are \(d_1 \geq \ldots \geq d_r.\) Remember that \(R\) is a Cohen-Macaulay ring as shown by \textit{M. Hochster} and \textit{J. L. Roberts} [Adv. Math. 13, 115-175 (1974; Zbl 0289.14010)]. Let \(S = K[x_1,\ldots,x_r]\), \(\deg x_i = d_i\), \(i = 1,\ldots, r,\) the polynomial ring. Then \(R\) is an epimorphic image of \(S\) in a natural way. As an \(S\)-module \(R\) has a minimal free resolution \(0 \to F_k \to \ldots \to F_0 \to R \to 0.\) Let \(\beta_G^i(V)\) denote the smallest integer \(d\) such that \(F_i\) is generated as an \(S\)-module in degree at most \(d.\) Then it is shown \(\beta^i_G(V) \leq d_1+d_2+\ldots+d_{s+i}-s \leq (s+i)\beta_G(V),\) where \(s = \dim R\) and \(\beta_G(V) = d_1.\) Let \(G\) be a finite group in the non-modular case. Then \(\beta_G(V) \leq | G| ,\) the order of the group. In characteristic zero this is \textit{E. Noether's} classical bound [Math. Ann. 77, 89-92 (1915; JFM 45.0198.01)], shown recently in the non-modular case [cf. \textit{P. Fleischmann}, [Adv. Math. 156, 23-32 (2000; Zbl 0973.13003)]. Therefore, \(\beta_G^i(V) \leq (n+i)| G| -n.\) In the case of \(i = 1\) (corresponding to the syzygy ideal), there is an improvement to \(\beta^1_G(V) \leq 2 | G| .\) The author's proofs make use of the Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity and an induction argument.