Classes of cut ideals and their Betti numbers (Q6171836)

In this paper, the authors study algebraic properties of \textit{monomial cut ideals} \(I(G)\) of a graph \(G\), \textit{i.e.}, monomial ideals generated by squarefree monomials associated to cut vectors of a graph \(G\). In detail, the authors analyze the class of the graphs that can be decomposed as 0-clique sums and disjoint union of subgraphs, that is, \(G=G_1\cup \cdots \cup G_r\) such that \( \mid \left( V(G_1)\cup \cdots \cup V(G_{i-1}) \right) \cap V(G_i)\mid \leq 1\) for \(2\leq i\leq r\), with subgraphs \(G_1, \ldots, G_r\). Let \(G\) be a finite simple graph with vertex set \(V(G)=\{v_1,\ldots,v_n\}\), \(n\geq 2\), and edge set \(E(G)=\{e_1,\ldots,e_m\}\), \(m\geq 1\). Let \(S=K[s_1,\ldots,s_m,t_1,\ldots,t_m]\) be the standard graded polynomial ring over a field \(K\) with \(2m\) variables. Given a subset \(A\subseteq [n]=\{1,\ldots,n\}\), the \textit{cut monomial} of \(A\), \(u_A=\alpha_1 \cdots \alpha_m \in S\), is defined as follow: \(\alpha_i=s_i\), if one of the vertex of \(e_i\) belongs to \(A\) and the other vertex belongs to \(A^c=V(G)\setminus A\), otherwise, \(\alpha_i=t_i\), if both vertices of \(e_i\) belong to \(A\) or both vertices belong to \(A^c\). The \textit{monomial cut ideal} of \(G\) is defined as \(I(G)=\langle u_A : A \subseteq [n] \rangle \subset S\). The aim of the paper is to use combinatorial properties of \(G\) to deduce algebraic and homological properties of \(I(G)\). Firstly, the authors analyze the minimal primary decomposition of \(I(G)\), where \(G\) can be written as a union of subgraphs, in terms of the corresponding decompositions of \(I(G_i)\). Moreover, the projective dimension and the Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity of \(I(G)\) are computed in terms of \(I(G_i)\). Such results also lead to considerations about the Cohen-Macaulayness of the ideal. The authors proceed by studyind the total Betti numbers of the monomial cut ideal of a cycle, \(I(C_n)\), completing previous works on the subject. This paper ends with a complete classification of all Freiman monomial cut ideals, that is, monomial cut ideals having the property that the number of generators for its powers are as small as possible.