Abstract
Consider K to be an arbitrary field, and P(n1,…, nm) be the ideal of polynomials given by
P(n1,…, nm) = {f(x1, … , xm) : f(x1,…,xm) ∈ K[x1,…,xm], f(tn1, … ,tnm) = 0, where t is transcendental over K}.
In 1970, J. Herzog showed that the least upper bound on the number of generators of K, for m = 3, is 3. It can be lowered to two, if n1, n2, n3 satisfy a few symmetry conditions. Following that, Bresinsky in 1975, showed that the lowest upper bound on the number of generators of P(n1, …, nm), can be arbitrarily large if m is greater than or equal to 4. Recent work by Herzog and Stamate provides a closed form for the number of generators for the semigroup in Bresinsky’s example showing that this number is arbitrarily large but even (precisely 2k, where k is built into Bresinsky’s semigroup and can be any natural number).
Since then a lot of progress has been made in investigating and finding a closed form for the number of generators of the ideal of relations for m greater than or equal to 4. All established work in the field produced examples where this number is always an even number.
However, in 2017, Stamate considers a semigroup suggested by Backelin, which has the following structure.
H = (r(3n+2), r(3n+2)+3, r(3n+2)+3n+1, r(3n+2)+3n+2)
where n is greater than or equal to 2, and r is greater than or equal to 3n+2.
Stamate reports that computations using Singular and GAP indicate that the number of generators for this semigroup is 3n+4, which can be an odd number.
The purpose of this project is to theoretically verify that result. In doing so, the project not only answers a fundamental question in semigroup theory; but also fills the vacuum caused by the lack of any examples with an odd number of generators, thereby completing a 43-year-old question.
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Metadata
- Event location
Nesbitt 3110
- Event date
3 November 2018
- Date submitted
19 July 2022