Minimal cellular resolutions of monomial ideals with five generators and their Artinian reductions (Q6924580)

Since the work of \N\textit{D. Kahn Taylor} in [Ideals generated by monomials in an \(R\)-sequence. University of Chicago (PhD Thesis) (1966)], many authors have studied free resolutions of monomial ideals, with an eye toward obtaining minimal resolutions. The Taylor resolution is far from minimal in most cases. In this paper the author extends work of \N\textit{E. Batzies} and \textit{V. Welker} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 543, 147--168 (2002; Zbl 1055.13012)], of \N\textit{M. K. Chari} [Discrete Math. 217, No. 1--3, 101--113 (2000; Zbl 1008.52011)] and of \N\textit{R. Forman} [Adv. Math. 134, No. 1, 90--145 (1998; Zbl 0896.57023)], focusing on what they call \textit{Morse resolutions}. The idea is that the Taylor resolution of a given monomial ideal is induced from a simplex, and discrete Morse theory produces a CW-complex which is homotopy equivalent to the simplex, but with fewer cells. This CW-complex yields a free resolution that is closer to being minimal than the Taylor resolution for this ideal. However, it is still not necessarily minimal. The author uses a ``generalized Barile-Macchia resolution'' to improve the situation. Here is the main result: Let \(J\) be a monomial ideal with at most five generators in the polynomial ring \(S = k[x_1,\dots,x_N]\), where \(k\) is a field. Set \(I = J + (x_1^{n_1},\dots,x_N^{n_N})\), where \(n_1,\dots,x_N\) are positive integers. Then \(I\) and \(J\) have a minimal Barile-Macchia resolution. In particular, \(I\) and \(J\) have minimal cellular resolutions.\N\NThis extends a result of \N\textit{S. Faridi} et al. [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 228, No. 6, Article ID 107608, 28 p. (2024; Zbl 1534.13005)] for four generators or less. The author points out that this main result cannot be extended to monomial ideals with six generators, by a cute argument.