Gorenstein rings as specializations of unique factorization domains (Q788059)

Let R be a Gorenstein ring which is a factor ring of a regular local ring and a complete intersection locally in codimension one. The major result proves that R is a specialization of a unique factorization domain (UFD) that is Cohen-Macaulay and an epimorphic image of a regular local ring. This result is used to show that for certain singularities the highest exterior power and any symmetric power of the module of differentials are never Cohen-Macaulay. Examples are constructed of a local Cohen-Macaulay UFD S whose singular locus has large codimension, but the completion of S is not a UFD.