Almost maximal growth of the Hilbert function

Hilbert-Samuel and Hilbert-Kunz functions; Poincaré series (13D40) Varieties defined by ring conditions (factorial, Cohen-Macaulay, seminormal) (14M05)

Abstract: Let A = S/J be a standard artinian graded algebra over the polynomial ring S. A theorem of Macaulay dictates the possible growth of the Hilbert function of A from any degree to the next, and if this growth is the maximal possible then strong consequences have been given by Gotzmann. It can be phrased in terms of the base locus of the linear system defined by the relevant component(s) of J. If J is the artinian reduction of the ideal of a finite set of points in projective space then this maximal growth for A was shown by Bigatti, Geramita and the second author to imply strong geometric consequences for the points. We now suppose that the growth of the Hilbert function is one less than maximal. This again has (not as) strong consequences for the base locus defined by the relevant component. And when J is the artinian reduction of the ideal of a finite set of points in projective space, we prove that almost maximal growth again forces geometric consequences.

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Let \(S=K[x_1,\dots,x_r]\) be a polynomial ring, where \(K\) is an algebraically closed field of any characteristic. Let \(J\subset S\) be a homogeneous ideal. The Hilbert function of \(S/J\) is the numerical function defined by \(h_{S/J}(t)=\dim_{K}[S/J]_t\). For any positive integer \(n\), a theorem of \textit{F. S. Macaulay} [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (2) 26, 531--555 (1927; JFM 53.0104.01)] gives an upper bound for \(h_{S/J}(n+1)\) in terms of \(h_{S/J}(n)\) and \(n\). When \(h_{S/J}(n+1)\) achieves this bound, we say that \(S/J\) has maximal growth in degree \(n\); the strong consequences have been given by Gotzmann. If \(J\) is the artinian reduction of the homogeneous ideal of a projective scheme \(Z\) by general linear forms, then the type of growth of the Hilbert function \(h_{S/J}(t)\) turns out to determine consequences on the geometry of \(Z\). Evidence for this connection can be found in a series of results for the case when \(Z\) is a finite set of points. One of them was proved by \textit{P. Maroscia} [Lect. Notes Math. 997, 290--314 (1983; Zbl 0625.14029)], and says essentially that if the value of the Hilbert function of \(S/J\) takes two or more consecutive values less than \(r\) then many of the points must lie on a linear space of specified dimension. Many other results are contained in [\textit{A. Bigatti} et al., Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 346, No. 1, 203--235 (1994; Zbl 0820.13019)], where the geometric consequences of a maximal growth of \(h_{S/J}(t)\) on the set \(Z\) are deeply explored. If \(h_{S/J}(n +1)\) fails by \(1\) to achieve Macaulay's bound, we say that \(S/J\) has almost maximal growth in degree \(n\). In the paper under review, the authors suppose that the growth of the Hilbert function is one less than maximal. This again has (not as) strong consequences for the base locus defined by the relevant component. And when \(J\) is the artinian reduction of the ideal of a finite set of points in projective space, the authors prove that almost maximal growth again forces geometric consequences.

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