A formula for symbolic powers (Q6597490)

Let \(S\) be a Cohen-Macaulay ring which is local or standard graded over a field. Let \(I\) be an unmixed ideal that is generically a complete intersection. In a very broad variety of settings, both algebraic and geometric, it is of interest to understand the symbolic powers \(I^{(m)}\) of \(I\). From a geometric viewpoint, when \(S\) is a polynomial ring then \(I^{(m)}\) consists of all of the hypersurfaces passing at least \(m\) times through each point of the variety \(V(I)\). Algebraically, \(I^{(m)} = I^m S_W \cap S\) where \(W \subset S\) is the multiplicative set of all \(S/I\)-regular elements. In this paper the authors give various results in the direction of checking when an ideal is a symbolic power. First, they give a characterization of when an unmixed subideal \(J \subseteq I^{(m)}\) is equal to \(I^{(m)}\). Second, they give a saturation-type formula to compute \(I^{(m)}\) and to check when \(I^{(m)} = I^m\) (which is an important question in the theory). Third, the prove an explicit linear bound on the exponent that makes the saturation formula effective. They prove a generalized version of a conjecture of Eisenbud and Mazur about \(\hbox{ann}_S(I^{(m)}/I^m)\) and propose a conjecture connecting the symbolic defect of an ideal to Jacobian ideals.