Multiplicities and a dimension inequality for unmixed modules
Abstract
Description
We prove the following result, which is motivated by the recent work of Kurano and Roberts on Serre's positivity conjecture. Assume that (R,m) is a local ring with finitely-generated module M such that R/ann(M) is quasi-unmixed and contains a field, and that p and q are prime ideals in the support of M such that p is analytically unramified, p+q is m-primary and e(M_p)=e(M). Then dim(R/p)+dim(R/q)\leq dim(M). We also prove a similar theorem in a special case of mixed characteristic. Finally, we provide several examples to explain our assumptions as well as an example of a noncatenary, local domain R with prime ideal p such that e(R_p)>e(R)=1.