Associated graded rings of one-dimensional analytically irreducible rings (Q853925)

This paper concerns the study of the Cohen-Macaulay property of the tangent cone \(\text{gr}_{\mathbf m}(R)\), where \((R,{\mathbf m}) \) is a one dimensional local subring of \(K[t]\). Up to the reviewer's knowledge Sally initiated this subject. Let \(v\) be the natural valuation on \(K[t]\) and \(S=v(R\setminus {0} )\) be the semigroup associated to \(R\). Denote by \(e\) the multiplicity of \(R\) and by \(\text{Ap}_e(S)\) the set of the smallest elements in \(S\) in each congruence class mod \(e\). Set \(\text{Ap}_e(S)=\{ \omega _0,\dots,\omega_{e-1} \}\) assuming that \(\omega _0=0\). A subset \(\{ f_0,\dots,f_{e-1}\}\) of \(R\) is an Apery basis if \(v(f_i)=\omega _i\) and \(f_i\) is in the biggest possible power of the maximal ideal. Let \(b_i\) be the largest exponent \(j\) such that \(f_i\in {\mathbf m}^j\). On the other hand consider the ring \(R'\), blow-up of \({\mathbf m}\) in \(R\) and let \(\text{Ap}_e(S')=\{ \omega' _0,\dots,\omega'_{e-1} \}\) the Apery set of \(S'=v(R')\). Define \(a_i\) by \(\omega'_i-a_ie\). The main point in this paper consists of describing the quotient \(R'/R\), using the numbers \(a_i,b_i\) and to prove that \(\text{gr}_{\mathbf m}(R)\) is Cohen-Macaulay if and only if \(a_i=b_i\) for all \(i\). We can also find some applications to the case of semigroup rings.