Fix a poset Q on $\{x_1,\ldots ,x_n\}$ . A Q-Borel monomial ideal $I \subseteq \mathbb {K}[x_1,\ldots ,x_n]$ is a monomial ideal whose monomials are closed under the Borel-like moves induced by Q. A monomial ideal I is a principal Q-Borel ideal, denoted $I=Q(m)$ , if there is a monomial m such that all the minimal generators of I can be obtained via Q-Borel moves from m. In this paper we study powers of principal Q-Borel ideals. Among our results, we show that all powers of $Q(m)$ agree with their symbolic powers, and that the ideal $Q(m)$ satisfies the persistence property for associated primes. We also compute the analytic spread of $Q(m)$ in terms of the poset Q.

The symbolic analytic spread of an ideal $I$ is defined in terms of the rate of growth of the minimal number of generators of its symbolic powers. In this article, we find upper bounds for the symbolic analytic spread under certain conditions in terms of other invariants of $I$. Our methods also work for more general systems of ideals. As applications, we provide bounds for the (local) Kodaira dimension of divisors, the arithmetic rank, and the Frobenius complexity. We also show sufficient conditions for an ideal to be a set-theoretic complete intersection.

We prove results concerning the multiplicity as well as the Cohen–Macaulay and Gorenstein properties of the special fiber ring $\mathscr{F}(E)$ of a finitely generated $R$-module $E\subsetneq R^{e}$ over a Noetherian local ring $R$ with infinite residue field. Assuming that $R$ is Cohen–Macaulay of dimension 1 and that $E$ has finite colength in $R^{e}$, our main result establishes an asymptotic length formula for the multiplicity of $\mathscr{F}(E)$, which, in addition to being of independent interest, allows us to derive a Cohen–Macaulayness criterion and to detect a curious relation to the Buchsbaum–Rim multiplicity of $E$ in this setting. Further, we provide a Gorensteinness characterization for $\mathscr{F}(E)$ in the more general situation where $R$ is Cohen–Macaulay of arbitrary dimension and $E$ is not necessarily of finite colength, and we notice a constraint in terms of the second analytic deviation of the module $E$ if its reduction number is at least three.

Let $\left( R,\,\mathfrak{m} \right)$ be a local ring and $\mathfrak{a}$ be an ideal of $R$. The inequalities

$$\text{ht}\left( \mathfrak{a} \right)\,\le \,\text{cd}\left( \mathfrak{a},\,R \right)\,\le \,\text{ara}\left( \mathfrak{a} \right)\,\le \,l\left( \mathfrak{a} \right)\,\le \,\mu \left( \mathfrak{a} \right)$$

are known. It is an interesting and long-standing problem to determine the cases giving equality. Thanks to the formal grade we give conditions in which the above inequalities become equalities.

Let (A, m) be a Noetherian local ring such that the residue field A/m is infinite. Let I be arbitrary ideal in A, and M a finitely generated A-module. We denote by ℓ(I, M) the Krull dimension of the graded module ⊕n≥0InM/mInM over the associated graded ring of I. Notice that ℓ(I, A) is just the analytic spread of I. In this paper, we define, for 0 ≤ i ≤ ℓ = ℓ(I, M), certain elements ei(I, M) in the Grothendieck group K0(A/I) that suitably generalize the notion of the coefficients of Hilbert polynomial for m-primary ideals. In particular, we show that the top term eℓ (I, M), which is denoted by eI(M), enjoys the same properties as the ordinary multiplicity of M with respect to an m-primary ideal.

We study Rees algebras of modules within a fairly general framework. We introduce an approach through the notion of Bourbaki ideals that allows the use of deformation theory. One can talk about the (essentially unique) generic Bourbaki ideal I(E) of a module E which, in many situations, allows one to reduce the nature of the Rees algebra of E to that of its Bourbaki ideal I(E). Properties such as Cohen–Macaulayness, normality and being of linear type are viewed from this perspective. The known numerical invariants, such as the analytic spread, the reduction number and the analytic deviation, of an ideal and its associated algebras are considered in the case of modules. Corresponding notions of complete intersection, almost complete intersection and equimultiple modules are examined in some detail. Special consideration is given to certain modules which are fairly ubiquitous because interesting vector bundles appear in this way. For these modules one is able to estimate the reduction number and other invariants in terms of the Buchsbaum–Rim multiplicity.