The Lex-Plus-Powers conjecture holds for pure powers (Q626119)

Let \(S=K[x_1,\dots,x_n]\) be the polynomial ring in \(n\) variables over an arbitrary field. Fix \(r\leq n\) and a nondecreasing sequence of positive integers \(2\leq e_1\leq e_2\leq \cdots\leq e_n\), and let \(P=(x_1^{e_1},\dots,x_{r}^{e_r})\) be the ideal generated by those powers of the variables. An important conjecture about Hilbert functions was made by Eisenbud, Green and Harris: Conjecture 1 (Eisenbud-Greeen-Harris). Let \(F=(f_1,\dots,f_r)\) be a homogeneous regular sequence, such that \(deg f_i=e_i\) for all \(i\), and let \(I\) be any homogeneous ideal containing \(F\). Then there is a lex ideal \(L\) such that \(L+P\) and \(I\) have the same Hilbert function. Evans extended the Eisenbud-Green-Harris conjecture to include a statement about Betti numbers: Conjecture 2 (Evans, Lex-Plus-Powers conjecture). Let \(F,I\) and \(L\) as in conjecture 1. Then for all \(i\) and \(j\) the graded Betti numbers of \(I\) and \(L+P\) satisfy \(b_{i,j}(L+P)\geq b_{i,j}(I)\). Both conjectures are open. The main result of this paper is that the Lex-Plus-Powers Conjecture holds if \(F\) consists of monomials. An important previous result for this paper is the following theorem by \textit{S. Murai} [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 212, No. 6, 1321--1336 (2008; Zbl 1138.13008)]: Theorem. Suppose that \(B\) is Borel and let \(L\) be a lex ideal such that \(L+P\) has the same Hilbert function as \(B+P\). Then for all \(i,j\) we have \(b_{i,j}(L+P)\geq b_{i,j}(B+P)\). This allows to prove the Lex-Plus-Powers Conjecture by reduction to the Borel case, and so is it done in this paper. The authors give two different proofs of the Lex-Plus-Powers Conjecture for ideals containing powers of the variables, one is for characteristic zero, and the other one is characteristic free (Theorem 3.1 and Theorem 8.1 respectively). The first proof uses a walk on the Hilbert scheme, while the second one, much longer and complicated, uses several tools related to Hilbert functions and Betti numbers of monomial ideals. The main tool of this proof is combinatorial shifting on monomial ideals. Within the paper authors not only show mastery on several techniques on monomial ideals (e.g. polarization, compression, free resolutions and shifting) but they also provide other interesting results, like Theorem 4.5, a formula for the multigraded Betti numbers of any monomial ideal. The paper ends with a section in which the authors show that the Betti numbers of \(I\) are obtained from those of the lex-plus-powers ideal \(L+P\) by consecutive cancellation, generalizing a theorem by I. Peeva.