Modular invariants of a vector and a covector: a proof of a conjecture of Bonnafé and Kemper (Q729733)

Let a group \(G\) acts linearly on a \(k\)-vector space \(W\). This induces an action of \(G\) on the dual space \(W^*\). Extending the action on \(W^*\) multiplicatively gives an action of \(G\) on the polynomial ring \(k[W]\). The ring of invariants is the subalgebra \(k[W]^G:= \{f \in k[W] \mid \sigma\cdot f = f, \forall \sigma\in G\}\). In the main result (Theorem 1) of the present article, the authors find a minimal generating set (involving Dickson invariants and Mui invariants) for the ring of invariants \(\mathbb F_q[V\oplus V^*]^{\mathrm{GL}(V)}\), where \(\mathbb F_q\) is the finite field of characteristic \(p\) with \(q\) elements. Moreover, they also show that this ring is a Gorenstein ring but is not a complete intersection. These results confirm a conjecture of \textit{C. Bonnafé} and \textit{G. Kemper} [J. Algebra 335, No. 1, 96--112 (2011; Zbl 1267.13010), Conjecture 3.1].