Universally free numerical semigroups (Q6146468)

Let \(A = \{a_1,..., a_n\}\) be a set of relatively prime positive integers and let \(S\) be the numerical semigroup generated by \(A\). The set \(A\) is said to be the minimal generating set of \(S\) if no proper subset of \(A\) generates \(S\). A numerical semigroup \(S\) with minimal generating set \(A = \{a_1,..., a_n\}\) is said to be free for the arrangement \((a_1,..., a_n)\) if \( \mathrm{lcm}(a_i , \mathrm {gcd}(a_{i+1},...,a_n))\in \langle a_{i+1},...,a_n\rangle\) for all \(i \in \{1,...,n - 1\}\). A numerical semigroup \(S\) is called universally free, if it is free for any arrangement of its minimal generating set. The paper contains many results concerning universally free numerical semigroups and toric ideals associated with them. The authors present a complete characterization of \(3\)-generated universally free numerical semigroups in terms of their minimal generating sets. The paper contains many examples. Here is one of the results: ``Let \(S\) be a numerical semigroup with minimal generating set \(A = \{a_1,..., a_n\}\). Then, \(S\) is universally free if and only if every reduced Gröbner basis of \(I_A\) has \(n -1\) elements''.