Some K-theoretic properties of the kernel of a locally nilpotent derivation on k[X₁, , X₄]

DOI10.1090/TRAN/6649MaRDI QIDQ2826762zbMATH OpenOpenAlexWikidataFDO

Authors Neena Gupta, Swapnil A. Lokhande, S. M. Bhatwadekar

Publication date 18 October 2016

Published in Transactions of the American Mathematical Society (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1501.01438

Grothendieck group locally nilpotent derivation Picard group polynomial ring projective module

Actions of groups on commutative rings; invariant theory (13A50) Projective and free modules and ideals in commutative rings (13C10) Grothendieck groups, (K)-theory and commutative rings (13D15) Derivations and commutative rings (13N15)

Abstract: Let k be an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero, D a locally nilpotent derivation on the polynomial ring k[X_1, X_2,X_3,X_4] and A the kernel of D. A question of M. Miyanishi asks whether projective modules over A are necessarily free. Implicit is a subquestion: whether the Grothendieck group K_0(A) is trivial. In this paper we shall demonstrate an explicit k[X_1]-linear fixed point free locally nilpotent derivation D of k[X_1,X_2, X_3, X_4] whose kernel A has an isolated singularity and whose Grothendieck group K_0(A) is not finitely generated; in particular, there exists an infinite family of pairwise non-isomorphic projective modules over the kernel A. We shall also show that, although Miyanishi's original question does not have an affirmative answer in general, suitably modified versions of the question do have affirmative answers when D annihilates a variable. For instance, we shall establish that in this case the groups G_0(A) and G_1(A) are indeed trivial. Further, we shall see that if the above kernel A is a regular ring, then A is actually a polynomial ring over k; in particular, by the Quillen-Suslin theorem, Miyanishi's question has an affirmative answer. Our construction involves rings defined by the relation u^mv=F(z,t), where F(Z,T) is an irreducible polynomial in k[Z,T]. We shall show that a necessary and sufficient condition for such a ring to be the kernel of a k[X_1]-linear locally nilpotent derivation D of a polynomial ring k[X_1,...,X_4] is that F defines a polynomial curve.

Review text

Let \(k\) be an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero and \(R\) an integral domain containing \(k\). A derivation \(D:R\rightarrow R\) is called \textit{locally nilpotent} if for every \(x\in R\), there exists a positive integer \(s\) such that \(D^{s}(x) = 0\). \(D\) is said to \textit{fixed point free} if the ideal generated by \(DR\) is the unit ideal. If \(S\) is a subring of \(R\), the set of all \(S\)-linear locally nilpotent derivations of \(R\) is denoted by \(\mathrm{LND}_{S}(R)\). The paper under review studies properties of kernels of locally nilpotent derivations of \(R = k[X_{1},\dots, X_{4}]\) in connection with the following question of \textit{M. Miyanishi} [in: Affine algebraic geometry. Dedicated to Masayoshi Miyanishi on the occasion of his retirement from Osaka University. Osaka: Osaka University Press. 307--378 (2007; Zbl 1124.14309)]: If \(D\in\mathrm{LND}_{k}(R)\) and \(A = \mathrm{Ker} D\), is it true that every projective \(A\)-module is free? Implicit is a subquestion: Is the Grothendieck group \(K_{0}(A)\) trivial?NEWLINENEWLINEThe paper under review presents an explicit \(k[X_{1}]\)-linear fixed point free locally nilpotent derivation of \(k[X_{1},\dots, X_{4}]\) whose kernel \(A\) has an isolated singularity and whose Grothendieck group \(K_{0}(A)\) is not finitely generated. The authors also show that even though the Miyanishi's question does not have an affirmative answer in general, suitably modified versions of the question do have affirmative answers when the derivation annihilates a variable.NEWLINENEWLINEThe main results of the paper are the following three statements (we use the above notation):NEWLINENEWLINEI. If \(D(X_{1}) = 0\) and \(A = \mathrm{Ker} D\) is regular, then \(A\) is a polynomial ring over \(k[X_{1}]\). In particular, every projective \(A\)-module is free.NEWLINENEWLINEII. If \(D\in\mathrm{LND}_{k[X_{1}]}(R)\), then the canonical maps \(G_{j}(k)\rightarrow G_{j}(A)\) (\(j=0, 1\)) are isomorphisms. (If \(\mathcal{M}(R)\) denotes the category of finitely generated modules over a commutative Noetherian ring \(R\), then \(G_{0}(R)\) and \(G_{1}(R)\) denote the Grothendieck and Whitehead groups of \(\mathcal{M}(R)\), respectively.) In particular, \(G_{0}(A) = \mathbb{Z}\) and \(G_{1}(A) = k^{\ast}\).NEWLINENEWLINEIII. Let \(F(Z, T)\) be an irreducible polynomial in \(k[Z, T]\), \(C = k[Z, T]/(F)\) and \(B = k[U, V, Z, T]/(U^{m}V - F(Z,T))\) (\(m\geq 1\)). Then: (i) If the ring \(C\) is not regular, then \(K_{0}(B)\) is not finitely generated; in particular, there exists an infinite family of non-isomorphic projective \(B\)-modules of rank two which are not even stably isomorphic. (ii) For some \(D\in\mathrm{LND}_{k[X_{1}]}(k[X_{1},\dots, X_{4}])\), \(B\) is isomorphic (as a \(k\)-algebra) to \(\mathrm{Ker} D\) if and only if \(C\) is a \(k\)-subalgebra of a polynomial ring \(k[W]\).

Recommendations

Cites work

Cited in

(11)

This page was built for publication: Some \(K\)-theoretic properties of the kernel of a locally nilpotent derivation on \(k[X_1, \dots , X_4]\)

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q2826762)