Multiplier ideals, and the vanishing theorems they satisfy, have found many applications in recent years. In the global setting they have been used to study pluricanonical and other linear series on a projective variety. More recently, they have led to the discovery of some surprising uniform results in local algebra.
The present notes aim to provide a gentle introduction to the algebraically-oriented local side of the theory. They follow closely a short course on multiplier ideals given in September 2002 at the Introductory Workshop of the program in commutative algebra at MSRI.
Let X be a smooth variety and J, K two ideal sheaves on X. We prove the following formula relating the multiplier ideals of J, K and J+K: I(X, c(J+K))\subset \sum_{a+b=c} I(X, aJ)\cdot I(X,bK). An analogous formula holds for the asymptotic multiplier ideals of two graded systems of ideals. As a consequence, we show how to approximate at any given point arbitrary multiplier ideals by multiplier ideals of zero dimensional ideals. We apply this to study the invariance of multiplier ideals under different embeddings.
A simple formula computing the multiplier ideal of a monomial ideal on an arbitrary affine toric variety is given. Variants for the multiplier module and test ideals are also treated.
The generalized test ideals introduced in [HY] are related to multiplier ideals via reduction to characteristic p. In addition, they satisfy many of the subtle properties of the multiplier ideals, which in characteristic zero follow via vanishing theorems. In this note we give several examples to emphasize the different behavior of test ideals and multiplier ideals. Our main result is that every ideal in an F-finite regular local ring can be written as a generalized test ideal. We also prove the semicontinuity of $F$-pure thresholds (though the analogue of the Generic Restriction Theorem for m…
In recent years, multiplier ideals have found many applications in local and global algebraic geometry. Because of their importance, there has been some interest in the question of which ideals on a smooth complex variety can be realized as multiplier ideals. Other than integral closure no local obstructions have been known up to now, and in dimension two it was established by Favre-Jonsson and Lipman-Watanabe that any integrally closed ideal is locally a multiplier ideal. We prove the somewhat unexpected result that multiplier ideals in fact satisfy some rather strong algebraic properties inv…
By using Mather-Jacobian multiplier ideals, we first prove a formula on comparing Grauert-Riemenschneider canonical sheaf with canonical sheaf of a variety over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero. Then we turn to study Mather-Jacobian multiplier ideals on algebraic curve, in which case the definition of Mather-Jacobian multiplier ideal can be extended to a ground field of any characteristic. We show that Mather-Jacobian multiplier ideal on curves is essentially the same as an integrally closed ideal. Finally by comparing conductor ideal with Mather-Jacobian multiplier ideal, …
It is well known that the multiplier ideal $\multr{I}$ of an ideal $I$ determines in a straightforward way the multiplier ideal $\multr{f}$ of a sufficiently general element $f$ of $I$. We give an explicit condition on a polynomial $f \in \CC[x_1,...,x_n]$ which guarantees that it is a sufficiently general element of the most natural associated monomial ideal, the ideal generated by its terms. This allows us to directly calculate the multiplier ideal $\multr{f}$ (for all $r$) of ``most'' polynomials $f$.
We compute the multiplier ideals of hyperplane arrangements via the interpretation of these ideals in terms of spaces of arcs, due to Ein, Lazarsfeld and the author.
We describe a new software package for computing multiplier ideals in certain cases, including monomial ideals, monomial curves, generic determinantal ideals, and hyperplane arrangements. In these cases we take advantage of combinatorial formulas for multiplier ideals given by results of Howald, Thompson, and Johnson. The package uses Normaliz. It is available as a library for Macaulay2.
The aim of this paper is to study mixed multiplier ideals associated to a tuple of ideals in a two-dimensional local ring with a rational singularity. We are interested in the partition of the real positive orthant given by the regions where the mixed multiplier ideals are constant. In particular we reveal which information encoded in a mixed multiplier ideal determines its corresponding jumping wall and we provide an algorithm to compute all the constancy regions, and their corresponding mixed multiplier ideals, in any desired range.
Thompson (2014) exhibits a formula for the multiplier ideal with multiplier lambda of a monomial curve C with ideal I as an intersection of a term coming from the I-adic valuation, the multiplier ideal of the term ideal of I, and terms coming from certain specified auxiliary valuations. This short note shows it suffices to consider only one auxiliary valuation. This improvement is achieved through a more intrinsic approach, reduction to the toric case.
The aim of this paper is to study jumping numbers and multiplier ideals of any ideal in a two-dimensional local ring with a rational singularity. In particular we reveal which information encoded in a multiplier ideal determines the next jumping number. This leads to an algorithm to compute sequentially the jumping numbers and the whole chain of multiplier ideals in any desired range. As a consequence of our method we develop the notion of jumping divisor that allows to describe the jump between two consecutive multiplier ideals. In particular we find a unique minimal jumping divisor that is s…
Demailly, Ein and Lazarsfeld \cite{DEL} proved the subadditivity theorem for multiplier ideals, which states the multiplier ideal of the product of ideals is contained in the product of the individual multiplier ideals, on non-singular varieties. We prove that, in two-dimensional case, the subadditivity theorem holds on log-terminal singularities. However, in higher dimensional case, we have several counter-examples. We consider the subadditivity theorem for monomial ideals on toric rings, and construct a counter-example on a three-dimensional toric ring.
It was recently established by the first two authors that multiplier ideals on a smooth variety satisfy some special syzygetic properties. The purpose of this note is to show how some of these can be extended to the singular setting.
As a generalization of formulas given by Demailly-Ein-Lazarsfeld, Eisenstein and Takagi, we prove a subadditivity formula for multiplier ideals associated to log pairs.
We prove a generalization of Demailly-Ein-Lazarsfeld's subadditivity formula and Mustata's summation formula for multiplier ideals to the case of singular varieties, using characteristic $p$ methods. As an application of our formula, we improve Hochster-Huneke's result on the growth of symbolic powers of ideals in singular affine algebras.
We introduce the notion of strong test module and show that a large number of such modules appear in the tight closure theory of complete domains: the test ideal (this has already been known), the parameter test module, and the module of relative test elements. They also appear as certain multiplier ideals, a concept of interest in algebraic geometry.
The goal of this paper is to produce a formula for the multiplier ideals of monomial space curves in the spirit of Howald's formula for the multiplier ideals of monomial ideals. This is achieved by constructing a toric blowup of affine space in such a way that a log resolution of the monomial curve may be constructed from this toric variety in a well controlled manner.
We present an algebro-geometric perspective on some generalizations, due to S. Takagi, of the restriction theorem for multiplier ideals. The first version of the restriction theorem for multiplier ideals was discovered by Esnault and Viehweg. In a series of papers S. Takagi has discovered generalizations of the restriction theorem and some formulas for multiplier ideals that follow from the restriction theorem. He uses the technique of tight closure and reduction to positive characteristic. We are able to provide an algebro-geometric proof of generalizations of his restriction theorem and his …
We prove the rationality of the Poincaré series of multiplier ideals in any dimension and thus extending the main results for surfaces of Galindo and Monserrat and Alberich-Carramiñana et al. Our results also hold for Poincaré series of test ideals. In order to do so, we introduce a theory of Hilbert functions indexed over $\mathbb{R}$ which gives an unified treatment of both cases.
There has arisen in recent years a substantial theory of "multiplier ideals'' in commutative rings. These are integrally closed ideals with properties that lend themselves to highly interesting applications. But how special are they among integrally closed ideals in general? We show that in a two-dimensional regular local ring with algebraically closed residue field, there is in fact no difference between "multiplier" and "integrally closed" (or "complete.") However, among multiplier ideals arising from an integer multiplying constant (also known as adjoint ideals) the only simple complete one…
Hara and Smith independently proved that in a normal $\mQ$-Gorenstein ring of characteristic $p \gg 0$, the test ideal coincides with the multiplier ideal associated to the trivial divisor. We extend this result for a pair $(R, Δ)$ of a normal ring $R$ and an effective $\mQ$-Weil divisor $Δ$ on $\Spec R$. As a corollary, we obtain the equivalence of strongly F-regular pairs and klt pairs.
We consider the following conjecture: if X is a smooth projective variety over a field of characteristic zero, then there is a dense set of reductions X_s of X to positive characteristic such that the action of the Frobenius morphism on the top Zariski cohomology of the structure sheaf of X_s is bijective. We also consider a conjecture relating certain invariants of singularities in characteristic zero (the multiplier ideals) with invariants in positive characteristic (the test ideals). We prove that the former conjecture implies the latter one in the case of ambient nonsingular varieties.
We give algorithms for computing multiplier ideals using Gröbner bases in Weyl algebras. The algorithms are based on a newly introduced notion which is a variant of Budur--Mustaţǎ--Saito's (generalized) Bernstein--Sato polynomial. We present several examples computed by our algorithms.
We construct a 3-dimensional complete intersection toric variety on which the subadditivity formula doesn't hold, answering negatively a question by Takagi and Watanabe. A combinatorial proof of the subadditivity formula on 2-dimensional normal toric varieties is also provided.
Using perfectoid algebras, we introduce a mixed characteristic analog of the multiplier ideal, respectively test ideal, from characteristic zero, respectively $p > 0$, in the case of a regular ambient ring. We prove several properties about this ideal such as subadditivity. We then use these techniques to derive a uniform bound on the growth of symbolic powers of radical ideals in all excellent regular rings. The analogous result was shown in equal characteristic by Ein-Lazarsfeld-Smith and Hochster-Huneke.
We consider the following conjecture: if X is a smooth projective variety over a field of characteristic zero, then there is a dense set of reductions X_s to positive characteristic such that the action of the Frobenius morphism on the top Zariski cohomology of the structure sheaf on X_s is bijective. We also consider the conjecture relating the multiplier ideals of an ideal J on a nonsingular variety in characteristic zero, and the test ideals of the reductions of J to positive characteristic. We prove that the latter conjecture implies the former one. The converse was proved in a joint paper…
We introduce a new variant of tight closure associated to any fixed ideal $\a$, which we call $\a$-tight closure, and study various properties thereof. In our theory, the annihilator ideal $τ(\a)$ of all $\a$-tight closure relations, which is a generalization of the test ideal in the usual tight closure theory, plays a particularly important role. We prove the correspondence of the ideal $τ(\a)$ and the multiplier ideal associated to $\a$ (or, the adjoint of $\a$ in Lipman's sense) in normal $\Q$-Gorenstein rings reduced from characteristic zero to characteristic $p \gg 0$. Also, in fixed prim…
We study the multiplicity of the jumping numbers of an $\mathfrak m$-primary ideal $\mathfrak a$ in a two-dimensional local ring with a rational singularity. The formula we provide for the multiplicities leads to a very simple and efficient method to detect whether a given rational number is a jumping number. We also give an explicit description of the Poincaré series of multiplier ideals associated to $\mathfrak a$ proving, in particular, that it is a rational function.
The Bernstein-Sato polynomial (or global b-function) is an important invariant in singularity theory, which can be computed using symbolic methods in the theory of D-modules. After surveying algorithms for computing the global b-function, we develop a new method to compute the local b-function for a single polynomial. We then develop algorithms that compute generalized Bernstein-Sato polynomials of Budur-Mustata-Saito and Shibuta for an arbitrary polynomial ideal. These lead to computations of log canonical thresholds, jumping coefficients, and multiplier ideals. Our algorithm for multiplier i…
In this note we calculate the multiplier ideal associated to an arbitrary monomial ideal in C^n. We discuss applications to the calculation of log canonical thresholds.
This paper provides a formula for the Mather-Jacobian multiplier ideals of torus invariant ideals on (not necessarily normal) toric varieties that generalizes Howald's formula for the multiplier ideal of monomial ideals in a polynomial ring.
We consider the multiplier ideals of the ideal of a reduced union of lines through the origin in C^3. For general arrangements of lines, we calculate the multiplier ideals.
Let (R,m) be an n-dimensional regular local ring, essentially of finite type over a field of characteristic zero. In this paper we study the relationship between the singularities of the scheme defined by an m-primary ideal I of R and the multiplier ideals J(I^c), with c varying among the positive rational numbers. In particular, we prove that, for every nonnegative integer k, the Samuel multiplicity of I is greater or equal to (n+k)^n/c^n whenever J(I^c) is contained in the (k+1)-th power of the maximal ideal m. This formula generalizes an inequality on log canonical thresholds previously obt…
We define a version of multiplier ideals, the Mather multiplier ideals, on a variety with arbitrary singularities, using the Mather discrepancy and the Jacobian ideal. In this context we prove a relative vanishing theorem, thus obtaining restriction theorems and a subadditivity and summation theorems. The Mather multiplier ideals also satisfy a Skoda type result. As an application, we obtain a Briancon-Skoda type formula for the integral closures of ideals on a variety with arbitrary singularities.
We use methods from birational geometry to study the Hodge and weight filtrations on the localization along a hypersurface. We focus on the lowest piece of the Hodge filtration of the submodules arising from the weight filtration. This leads to a sequence of ideal sheaves called weighted multiplier ideals. The last ideal of this sequence is a multiplier ideal (and a Hodge ideal), and we prove that the first is the adjoint ideal. We also study the local and global properties of weighted multiplier ideals and their applications to singularities of hypersurfaces of smooth varieties.
This paper gives an explicit formula for the multiplier ideals, and consequently for the log canonical thresholds, of any GL(V)xGL(W)-invariant ideal in the symmetric algebra S of the tensor product of V with the dual of W, where V and W are vector spaces over a field of characteristic 0. This characterization is done in terms of a polytope constructed from the set of Young diagrams corresponding to the Schur modules generating the ideal. Our approach consists in computing the test ideals of some invariant ideals of S in positive characteristic: Namely, we will compute the test ideals (and so …
In this paper, we establish several results related to vanishing theorems for Mather-Jacobian multiplier ideals on a Gorenstein projective variety, including an injectivity theorem, a Nadel-type vanishing theorem, a Griffith-type vanishing theorem for vector bundles, and a vanishing theorem for the asymptotic Mather-Jacobian multiplier ideals.
We give a survey on b-function, spectrum, and multiplier ideals together with certain interesting relations among them including the case of arbitrary subvarieties.
We establish a relative Bertini type theorem for multiplier ideal sheaves. Then we prove a relative version of the Kollár--Nadel type vanishing theorem as an application.
We revisit a bound on symbolic powers found by Ein-Lazarsfeld-Smith and subsequently improved by Takagi-Yoshida. We show that the original argument of Ein-Lazarsfeld-Smith actually gives the same improvement. On the other hand, we show by examples that any further improvement based on the same technique appears unlikely. This is primarily an exposition; only some examples and remarks might be new.
We show that the reduction to positive characteristic of the multiplier ideal in the sense of de Fernex and Hacon agrees with the test ideal for infinitely many primes, assuming that the variety is numerically Q-Gorenstein. It follows, in particular, that this reduction property holds in dimension 2 for all normal surfaces.
For a simple complete ideal $\wp$ of a local ring at a closed point on a smooth complex algebraic surface, we introduce an algebraic object, named Poincaré series $P_{\wp}$, that gathers in an unified way the jumping numbers and the dimensions of the vector space quotients given by consecutive multiplier ideals attached to $\wp$. This paper is devoted to prove that $P_{\wp}$ is a rational function giving an explicit expression for it.
In this paper we make a systematic study of the multiplicity of the jumping points associated to the mixed multiplier ideals of a family of ideals in a complex surface with rational singularities. In particular we study the behaviour of the multiplicity by small perturbations of the jumping points. We also introduce a Poincaré series for mixed multiplier ideals and prove its rationality. Finally, we study the set of divisors that contribute to the log-canonical wall.
We use the language of multiplier ideals in order to relate the syzygies of an abelian variety in a suitable embedding with the local positivity of the line bundle inducing that embedding. This extends to higher syzygies a result of Hwang and To on projective normality.
We describe a relation between two invariants that measure the complexity of a hypersurface singularity. One is the Hodge spectrum which is related to the monodromy and the Hodge filtration on the cohomology of the Milnor fiber. The other is the multiplier ideal, having to do with log resolutions.
We give a Hodge-theoretic interpretation of the multiplier ideal of an effective divisor on a smooth complex variety. More precisely, we show that the associated graded coherent sheaf with respect to the jumping-number filtration can be recovered from the smallest piece of M. Saito's Hodge filtration of the D-module of vanishing cycles.
This paper investigates the existence and properties of a Bernstein-Sato functional equation in nonregular settings. In particular, we construct $D$-modules in which such formal equations can be studied. The existence of the Bernstein-Sato polynomial for a direct summand of a polynomial over a field is proved in this context. It is observed that this polynomial can have zero as a root, or even positive roots. Moreover, a theory of $V$-filtrations is introduced for nonregular rings, and the existence of these objects is established for what we call differentially extensible summands. This famil…
The purpose of this note is to give a survey of the algebraic properties of multiplier ideals, and illustrate some of their applications to classical projective geometry.
We give a proof of the Thom-Sebastiani type theorem for holonomic filtered $D$-modules satisfying certain good conditions (including Hodge modules) by using algebraic partial microlocalization. By a well-known relation between multiplier ideals and $V$-filtrations of Kashiwara and Malgrange, the argument in the proof implies also a Thom-Sebastiani type theorem for multiplier ideals, which cannot be deduced from a already known proof of the Thom-Sebastiani theorem for mixed Hodge modules (since the latter gives only the information of graded pieces of multiplier ideals). We also sketch a more e…
Given a pseudo-effective divisor L we construct the diminished ideal of L, a "continuous" extension of the asymptotic multiplier ideal for big divisors to the pseudo-effective boundary. For most pseudo-effective divisors L the multiplier ideal of the metric of minimal singularities of L is contained in the diminished ideal. We also characterize abundant divisors using the diminished ideal, indicating that in this case the geometric and analytic information should coincide.
In this article, we will characterize the multiplier ideal sheaves with weights of log canonical threshold one by restricting the weights to complex regular surface.
Proofs of two results about a monomial ideal -- describing membership in auxiliary ideals associated to the monomial ideal -- are given which do not invoke resolution of singularities. The AM--GM inequality is used as a substitute for taking a log resolution of the monomial ideal.
M. Mustata used jet schemes to compute the multiplier ideals of reduced hyperplane arrangements. We give an alternate proof using a log resolution, which is simpler and allows us to consider non-reduced arrangements. By applying the idea of wonderful models introduced by De Concini--Procesi, we also simplify the result.
We show that the restriction to a smooth transversal section commutes to the computation of multiplier ideals and V-filtrations. As an application we prove the constancy of the spectrum along any stratum of a Whitney regular stratification.
