1

Let $I \subset \mathbb{C}[x,y]$ be an ideal such that $\dim \mathbb{C}[x,y]/I =n$ for some natural number $n$. For any point $p \in \mathbb{C}^2$ we define $I_p=(x-p_x,y-p_y)^n+I$. I want to prove that we can have a ring isomorphism: $$ \frac{\mathbb{C}[x,y]}{I}\simeq \bigoplus_{p \in \mathbb{C}^2}\frac{\mathbb{C}[x,y]}{I_p}.$$

I was told this is true by a PhD student, but I have the feeling this is a special case of a more general theorem. Can anyone help me with some thoughts on a more elementary proof if that's possible, or a more general theorem that can be applied here. It feels like a generalization of the fundamental theorem of algebra.

The context of this question is that I am looking at the Hilbert scheme of points over $\mathbb{C}^2$ and I use a construction with such $I_p$ to define the Hilbert-Chow morphism.

hm2020
  • 1
Ludo
  • 53
  • 1
  • When write $\dim \mathbb{C}[x,y]/I =n$ to what dimension are you refering to? – user26857 Jun 02 '21 at 06:57
  • 3
    If that means the dimension as a vector space, I have serious doubts that your claim holds. In my opinion, the power of the maximal ideal $I_p$ should depend on $p$. – user26857 Jun 02 '21 at 07:06
  • I mean the dimension as a vector space. The degree of that power is a bit high, I agree. But I think that does not form a problem. For instance If we look at $(x^2+x,y^2-y)$. We then have four points $(0,0),(0,1),(-1,0),(-1,1)$ we should get out of it. But $(x,y)^4+(x^2+x,y^2-y)$ contains $x^4 - (x^2-x+1)(x^2+x)=-x$, and similarly we see that it contains $y$, therefore you still have $(x^2+x,y^2-y)+(x,y)^4=(x^2+x,y^2-y)+(x,y)=(x,y)$. From this example I got the impression that making the exponent way to big, would not change the ideal from some point on. (I chose $n$ to make it big enough) – Ludo Jun 02 '21 at 07:56
  • @user26857 maybe I should have tagged you with my reply so you would actually see it... – Ludo Jun 02 '21 at 08:36
  • @JyrkiLahtonen thank you for replying, what I wanted to make clear with my last comment is that I don't think the higher power is a problem. With your example you can calculate that $I_p=(x^2-1,y)+(x-1,y)^2$ contains $x^2-1 - (x-1)^2=2x-2$, thus it contains $x-1$ and we can furthermore calculate that $I_p=(x^2-1,y)+(x-1,y)^2=(x-1,y)$. Moreover it can be proven that $(x^2-1,y)+(x-1,y)^N=(x^2-1,y)+(x-1,y)$ for $N \geq 2$. (Note that you can use euclids algorithm to combine $x^2-1$ and $(x-1)^N$ to get $x-1$). So I agree that the colength of $I_p$ should be small, but the exponent can be big – Ludo Jun 03 '21 at 08:36
  • 1
    Ludo, thanks for the explanation. I managed to miss the $+I$ -part in the definition of $I_p$ :-) – Jyrki Lahtonen Jun 03 '21 at 10:09

1 Answers1

1

Question: "I want to prove that we can have a ring isomorphism: C[x,y]I≃⨁p∈C2C[x,y]Ip."

Answer: Let $A:=k[x,y]/I$ with $k$ the complex numbers. Since $dim_k(A)< \infty$ it follows $A$ is artinian and hence there is an isomorphism

$$\phi:A \cong A_1 \oplus \cdots \oplus A_d$$

where $A_i$ is an artinian local ring for every $i$ with maximal ideal $\mathfrak{m}_i$. Since $dim_k(A_i)< \infty$ it follows $\mathfrak{m}_i^{l_i}=0$ for some integer $l_i \geq 1$.

Let $\mathfrak{p}_i:=A_1\oplus \cdots \oplus \mathfrak{m}_i \oplus \cdots \oplus A_d$. It follows $A/\mathfrak{p}_i \cong A_i/\mathfrak{m}_i\cong k$ and $A/\mathfrak{p}_i^{l_i} \cong A_i$. It follows

$$\mathfrak{p}_1^{l_1}\cdots \mathfrak{p}_d^{l_d} =0.$$

By the chinese remainder theorem you get an isomorphism

$$A \cong A/(0) \cong A/\mathfrak{p}_1^{l_1}\cdots \mathfrak{p}_d^{l_d} \cong A_1 \oplus \cdots \oplus A_d$$

and since $k$ is algebraically closed it follows $\mathfrak{p}_i \cong(x-a_i,y-b_i)$ for complex numbers $(a_i,b_i)\in k^2$. Since $\mathfrak{p}_1^{l_1}\cdots \mathfrak{p}_d^{l_d}=(0)$ in $A$ it follows there is an equality of ideals

$$I:=(x-a_1,y-b_1)^{l_1}\cdots (x-a_d,y-b_d)^{l_d}$$

in $k[x,y]$. where $l_1,..,l_d$ is a set of integers $\geq 1$ satsifying a certain condition (see $C1$ below).

Hence if your aim is to study the Hilbert scheme, you want to parametrize the set of products of maximal ideals

$$I:=\mathfrak{p}_1^{l_1}\cdots \mathfrak{p}_d^{l_d} \subseteq k[x,y]$$

with $1 \leq d \leq n$ and $l_i \geq 1$. You will find that

$$dim_k(k[x,y]/(x,y)^i)=\binom{i+1}{2}$$

hence if $I:=(x-a_1,y-b_1)^{l_1}\cdots (x-a_d,y-b_d)^{l_d}$

it follows

$$dim_k(k[x,y]/I)= \sum_{j=1}^d \binom{l_j+1}{2}.$$

Note that $dim_k(k[x,y]/(x-a,y-b)^l)=dim_k(k[x,y]/(x,y)^l$ hence

$$dim_k(A) = \sum_j dim_k(k[x,y]/(x-a_j,y-b_j)^{l_j}=\sum_j \binom{l_j+1}{2}.$$

Hence you want to parametrize ideals $I=\mathfrak{p}_1^{l_1}\cdots \mathfrak{p}_d^{l_d}$ with $1 \leq d \leq n $ and

$$C1.\text{ }dim_k(k[x,y]/I)= \sum_{j=1}^d \binom{l_j+1}{2}=n.$$

Given an integer $1 \leq d \leq n$ you must give a combinatorial formula for the set of integers $(l_1,..,l_d)$ with $l_i\geq 1$ and $\sum_j \binom{l_j+1}{2}=n$. If you can do this it may be you are able to up give an "elementary" construction of the Hilbert scheme $Hilb^n(k[x,y])$.

Example: "I was also wondering about the ideals $I_1:=(x^4,y)$ and $I_2:=(x^3,y^2,xy)$, they are both of colength 4."

Answer: You must calculate the decomposition

$$D1.\text{ }k[x,y]/I_j \cong \oplus_i k[x,y]/(x-a_i,y-b_i)^{l_i}$$

for $j=1,2$ and check if you get the same decomposition. The rings $k[x,y]/I_j$ have finite dimension as $k$-vector spaces, and by the above argument it follows the decomposition $D1$ exist. The ideals $I_1$ and $I_2$ are equal iff they have the same decomposition. An ideal $I \subseteq k[x,y]$ have many different sets of generators and it is difficult to parametrize the set of ideals $I$ using generators. Then you must make identifications.

If you instead parametrize triples

$$\{(a_1,b_1,l_1),\ldots ,(a_d,b_d,l_d) \}\in Sym^d(k^2 \times \mathbb{Z})$$

with $(a_i,b_i,l_i)\in k^2 \times \mathbb{Z}, l_i\geq 1$ and $\sum_j \binom{l_j+1}{2}=n$

you avoid problems involved in choosing a basis for $k[x,y]/I$. Here $Sym^d(k^2 \times \mathbb{Z})$ is the "set theoretic symmetric product" of $k^2 \times \mathbb{Z}$. The symmetric group on d elements $S_d$ acts on $(k^2 \times \mathbb{Z})^d$ and $Sym^d(k^2\times \mathbb{Z}):=(k^2 \times \mathbb{Z})^d/S_d$ is the "quotient". Let

$$H^i:=Sym^i(k^2 \times \mathbb{Z})$$

and consider

$$H(n):=H^1\times H^2 \cdots \times H^n.$$

It may be you can give an "elementary" construction of the "Hilbert scheme"

$$Hilb^n(k[x,y]) \subseteq H(n).$$

Note: By "Hilbert scheme" I mean the space parametrizing ideals $I \subseteq k[x,y]$ with $dim_k(k[x,y]/I)=n$. The above "space" is not a scheme.

Note: Given a decomposition $I:=\mathfrak{m}_1^{l_1}\cdots \mathfrak{m}_d^{l_d}$ with $\mathfrak{m}_i:=(x-a_i,y-b_i)$ you get a divisor

$$D(I):= \sum_i l_i[x_i]$$

where $x_i:=Spec(k[x,y]/\mathfrak{m}_i)$. Hence this construction is related to the Hilbert-Chow morphism and divisors.

Note: In the definition of the Hilbert scheme $Hilb^n(X)$ of an affine scheme $X:=Spec(A)$ there is no Hilbert polynomial available since $X$ is affine.

hm2020
  • 1
  • I am not really familiar with artinian rings, I read the wiki page however. You seem claim that the product of the p_i^{l_i} is zero in A, can you maybe elaborate why that is? The idea of the Chinese remainder theorem was something I should have thought of by myself. I tried to prove this for myself without using artisian properties. If we write $J_p=(x-p_x,y-p_y)^n$ it can be proven that if p does not vanish on I, we have $I+J_p=(1)$. Moreover $J_p$ and $J_q$ are coprime for different points, thus with the Chinese remainder theorem I'm only left with proving $I+J_{p_1}J_{p_2} \dots J_{p_d}=I$ – Ludo Jun 01 '21 at 20:31
  • That last step is implied by your statement that $\prod_i p_i^{l_i}=(0)$ in A. Moreover all $l_i$ should sum up to $n$ right because of the dimensions? – Ludo Jun 01 '21 at 20:34
  • 1
    I was also wondering about the ideals $(x^4,y)$ and $(x^3,y^2,xy)$, they are both of colength 4. But I think that with your reasoning it follows that they must be the same, and they are both not of the form $(x,y)^n$. – Ludo Jun 01 '21 at 21:12
  • @Ludo - I added some more details. – hm2020 Jun 02 '21 at 09:18
  • 1
    @hm2020 thank you for all your answers and the extra details! I tried to follow your proof with the ideal $(x^4,y)$. Then you get $A=\mathbb{C}[x,y]/(x^4,y)$, d=1, since this ring is local artinian already (since (x,y) is the only maximal ideal), we get $p_1=(x,y)$ we also see $l_1=4$, then all of your isomorphisms can be verified, up until we arrive at I=(x,y)^4, which is not true. Can you tell me where my reasoning went wrong? – Ludo Jun 02 '21 at 10:07
  • I think that only inclusion can be concluded, but that is exactly what I needed. – Ludo Jun 02 '21 at 10:12
  • @Ludo - I believe the above calculation is correct. Write back if you have more questions. – hm2020 Jun 02 '21 at 10:18
  • The claim I want to prove is: ""Let $I$ be such that $\mathbb{C}[x,y]/I$ has dimension $n$ over the complex numbers. Let (a_i,b_i) the set of points where $I$ vanishes, then $I \subset \prod_i (x-a_i,y-b_i)^n$". I used some ideas from you and the Atiyah-Macdonalds book. My idea of proof: Let $R$ be the nilradical of $A:=\mathbb{C}[x,y]/I$, we know that $R^k=0$ for some $k$. Also we know that $R$ is the intersection of all prime ideals, moreover since A is artinian the prime ideals are the maximal ideals. The maximal ideals in $A$ come from the maximal ideals in $\mathbb{C}[x,y]$, thus these – Ludo Jun 02 '21 at 10:58
  • are exactly of the form $(x-p_1,y-p_2)$ for some $p \in \mathbb{C}^2$. Therefore we see that $\prod_i(x-a_i)(y-b_i)^k\subset R^k=(0)$. All other points corresponds to all of $A$, so those are not included here. Now I'm only left with proving that $k\leq n$. I could also use another exponent, as long as it is fixed for all $I$. Do you see an argument why $k \leq n$? I was thinking about just classifying all nilpotents in $A$, but I'm not sure yet @hm2020 – Ludo Jun 02 '21 at 11:02