On the coinvariants of modular representations of cyclic groups of prime order (Q814780)

Let \(V\) be a finite dimensional representation of a finite group \(G\) over a field \(F\). The ring of invariants \(F[V]^G\) is a finitely generated subring of the polynomial ring \(F[V]\). The Hilbert ideal \(H\subset F[V]\) is the ideal generated by the homogeneous invariants of positive degree and the ring of coinvariants is the quotient \(F[V]_G:=F[V]/H\). Clearly, \(F[V]_G\) is a finite dimensional graded \(F\)-algebra having a structure of a module over the group ring \(FG\). The authors consider the ring of coinvariants for modular representations of cyclic groups of prime order. For all cases for which explicit generators for the ring of invariants are known, they give a reduced Gröbner basis for the Hilbert ideal and the corresponding monomial basis for the coinvariants. They describe the decomposition of the coinvariants as a module over \(FG\). For one family of representations, they are able to describe the coinvariants despite the fact that an explicit generating set for the invariants is not known. H.~Derksen and G.~Kemper have conjectured that the order of the group is an upper bound on the degree of a minimal homogeneous generating set for the Hilbert ideal. In all of the examples considered in the article, the authors confirm this conjecture.