Let $I\subset S=K[x_1,\dots,x_n]$ be a squarefree monomial ideal, $K$ a field. The $k$th squarefree power $I^{[k]}$ of $I$ is the monomial ideal of $S$ generated by all squarefree monomials belonging to $I^k$. The biggest integer $k$ such that $I^{[k]}\ne(0)$ is called the monomial grade of $I$ and it is denoted by $\nu(I)$. Let $d_k$ be the minimum degree of the monomials belonging to $I^{[k]}$. Then, $\text{depth}(S/I^{[k]})\ge d_k-1$ for all $1\le k\le\nu(I)$. The normalized depth function of $I$ is defined as $g_{I}(k)=\text{depth}(S/I^{[k]})-(d_k-1)$, $1\le k\le\nu(I)$. It is expected that $g_I(k)$ is a non-increasing function for any $I$. In this article we study the behaviour of $g_{I}(k)$ under various operations on monomial ideals. Our main result characterizes all cochordal graphs $G$ such that for the edge ideal $I(G)$ of $G$ we have $g_{I(G)}(1)=0$. They are precisely all cochordal graphs $G$ whose complementary graph $G^c$ is connected and has a cut vertex. As a far-reaching application, for given integers $1\le s we construct a graph $G$ such that $\nu(I(G))=m$ and $g_{I(G)}(k)=0$ if and only if $k=s+1,\dots,m$. Finally, we show that any non-increasing function of non-negative integers is the normalized depth function of some squarefree monomial ideal.
@article{10_37236_11611,
author = {Antonino Ficarra and J\"urgen Herzog and Takayuki Hibi},
title = {Behaviour of the normalized depth function},
journal = {The electronic journal of combinatorics},
year = {2023},
volume = {30},
number = {2},
doi = {10.37236/11611},
zbl = {1520.13017},
url = {http://geodesic.mathdoc.fr/articles/10.37236/11611/}
}
TY - JOUR
AU - Antonino Ficarra
AU - Jürgen Herzog
AU - Takayuki Hibi
TI - Behaviour of the normalized depth function
JO - The electronic journal of combinatorics
PY - 2023
VL - 30
IS - 2
UR - http://geodesic.mathdoc.fr/articles/10.37236/11611/
DO - 10.37236/11611
ID - 10_37236_11611
ER -
%0 Journal Article
%A Antonino Ficarra
%A Jürgen Herzog
%A Takayuki Hibi
%T Behaviour of the normalized depth function
%J The electronic journal of combinatorics
%D 2023
%V 30
%N 2
%U http://geodesic.mathdoc.fr/articles/10.37236/11611/
%R 10.37236/11611
%F 10_37236_11611
Antonino Ficarra; Jürgen Herzog; Takayuki Hibi. Behaviour of the normalized depth function. The electronic journal of combinatorics, Tome 30 (2023) no. 2. doi: 10.37236/11611