THE STRUCTURE OF DGA RESOLUTIONS OF MONOMIAL
IDEALS

arXiv:1610.06526v1 [] 20 Oct 2016

LUKAS KATTHÄN
Abstract. Let I ⊂ k[x1 , . . . , xn ] be a squarefree monomial ideal a polynomial
ring. In this paper we study multiplications on the minimal free resolution F of
a S/I. In particular, we characterize the possible vectors of total Betti numbers
for such ideals which admit a differential graded algebra (DGA) structure on F.
We also show that under these assumptions the maximal shifts of the graded
Betti numbers are subadditive.
On the other hand, we present an example of a strongly generic monomial
ideal which does not admit a DGA structure on its minimal free resolution.
In particular, this demonstrates that the Hull resolution and the Lyubeznik
resolution do not admit DGA structures in general.
Finally, we show that it is enough to modify the last map of F to ensure
that it admits the structure of a DG algebra.

Introduction
Let S be a polynomial ring over a field, I ⊂ S be a monomial ideal, and let
F denote the minimal free resolution of S/I over S. The multiplication map
S/I ⊗S S/I → S/I can be lifted to a “multiplication” ∗ : F ⊗S F → F, which in
general is associative and graded-commutative only up to homotopy. Moreover,
∗ is unique only up to homotopy. It is known that ∗ can always chosen to be
graded-commutative “on the nose” (cf. [BE77, Prop 1.1]), but in general it is not
possible to choose ∗ such that it is associative (cf. [Avr74, Appendix], [Avr81]).
If ∗ is graded-commutative and associative, then it gives F the structure of a
differential graded algebra (DGA). In this situation, we say that S/I admits a
minimal DGA resolution. Starting with the work of Buchsbaum and Eisenbud
[BE77], a lot of research has been devoted to the study of DGA resolutions, see
for example [Avr81] or [Kus94] and the references therein. In the present paper,
we study the case where I is generated by squarefree monomials and consider
only multiplications which respect the multigrading. These restrictions allow us
to prove much stronger statements than in the general situation. Our results can
be organized along the following questions:
(1) Which ideals admit a minimal DGA resolution? Which constructions of
(not necessarily minimal) resolutions yield DGA resolutions?
(2) What are the consequences if a given ideal admits a minimal DGA resolution?
(3) How unique or non-unique are the DGA structures?
(4) What can be said about the structure of DGA resolutions as algebras?
2010 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary: 05E40; Secondary: 13D02,16W50,13F55.
Key words and phrases. Monomial ideal; Free resolution; Differential graded Algebra.
1

2

LUKAS KATTHÄN

There are a few classes of ideals in local rings which are known to admit minimal
DGA resolutions, see [Kus94] for an overview. In the context of monomial ideals,
this is the case for stable ideals [Pee96], matroidal ideals [Skö11] and edge ideals of
cointerval graphs [Skö16]. Another class of ideals whose minimal free resolutions
are well-understood are generic monomial ideals. However, in Theorem 5.1, we
present an example of a (strongly) generic monomial ideal which does not admit a
minimal DGA resolution. The example also demonstrates that the hull resolution
[BS98] and the Lyubeznik resolution [Lyu88] do not admit a DGA structure in
general.
On the positive side, we show in Theorem 2.1 that for every monomial ideal I
there always exists a monomial m ∈ S such that S/(mI) admits a minimal DGA
resolution. Note that the minimal free resolutions of S/I and S/(mI) differ only
in the last map. Therefore, one can interpret this result as saying that the other
maps in the resolution to not contain obstructions to the existence of a DGA
structure. This result actually holds in greater generality for homogeneous ideals
in S and even for ideals in regular local domains.
Concerning the second question, it is a beautiful result by Buchsbaum and
Eisenbud [BE77, Proposition 1.4], that if I admits a minimal DGA resolution,
then one can conclude certain lower bounds on the Betti numbers of S/I. In the
context of squarefree monomial ideals, we sharpen this result by completely characterizing the possible total Betti numbers of ideals admitting a minimal DGA
resolution (Theorem 4.1). Moreover, we show that if I is such an ideal, then
its graded Betti numbers satisfy the subadditivity condition of [ACI15] (Proposition 4.4).
It is well-known that DGA structures on minimal free resolutions do not need
to be unique. Our Example 3.2 demonstrates that this even fails for squarefree
monomial ideals, thus answering a question of Buchsbaum and Eisenbud [Pee10,
Open Problem 31.4]. On the other hand, we show that at least a certain part of
the multiplication is indeed unique, see Proposition 3.1 for the precise statement.
Concerning the fourth questions, we show that F is essentially generated in
degree 1 with respect to any multiplication. See Proposition 3.4 for the exact
statement. As a consequence, whenever I admits a minimal DGA resolution
F, then it is a quotient of the Taylor resolution (which has a canonical DGA
structure) by a DG-ideal, see Theorem 3.6. Thus one can study the possible
DGA structures on F by considering DG-ideals in the Taylor resolution.
The key idea behind most of our results is the following simple observation: F is
a free S-module which is generated in squarefree degrees, so for any homogeneous
element f ∈ F, we can find an element f ′ ∈ F of squarefree degree, such that
f = mf ′ for a monomial m ∈ S. We call f ′ the squarefree part of f .
This paper is structured as follows. In Section 1 we recall some preliminaries
about multiplicative structures on resolution, the Taylor resolution and the Scarf
complex, and we introduce the squarefree part of an element f ∈ F. In the next
section we prove Theorem 2.1 about the existence of minimal DGA resolutions
after multiplication with an element. The following Section 3 is devoted to the
study of the structure of multiplication on F. After that, in Section 4 we derive
two consequences of the existence of a minimal DGA resolution, namely our
characterization of the total Betti numbers and the subadditivity of syzygies.

STRUCTURE OF DGA STRUCTURES

3

In the penultimate Section 5 we present an example of a generic monomial
ideal which does not admit a minimal DGA resolution, and in the last section we
study multiplication on resolutions of ideals which are not necessarily squarefree.
1. Preliminaries and notation
Throughout the paper, let k be a field and S = k[x1 , . . . , xn ] be a polynomial
ring over k, endowed with the fine Zn -grading. We denote by m := hx1 , . . . , xn i
the maximal homogeneous ideal of S. Further, let I ⊂ S be a monomial ideal
and let
∂
∂
∂
F : · · · → F2 → F1 → F0 → S/I → 0
denote the minimal free resolution of S/I. Note that F is Zn -graded and the
differential ∂ respect the multigrading. The multigraded Betti numbers of S/I
S
are denoted by βi,a
(S/I) = TorSi (S/I, k)a . We often identify F with the free
L
multigraded S-module i Fi . For an element f ∈ F we denote its multidegree by
deg(f ) and its homological degree by |f |.
We consider the componentwise order on Zn and write a ∧ b and a ∨ b for the
componentwise minimum and maximum of a, b ∈ Zn , respectively.
1.1. Multiplications on resolutions. We recall the definition of a DGA structure.
Definition 1.1. A differential graded algebra (DGA) structure on F is an S-linear
map ∗ : F ⊗S F → F satisfying the following axioms for a, b, c ∈ F:
(1) ∗ extends the usual multiplication on F0 = S,
(2) ∂(a ∗ b) = ∂(a) ∗ b + (−1)|a| a ∗ ∂b (Leibniz rule),
(3) |a ∗ b| = |a| + |b| (homogeneity with respect to the homological grading),
(4) a ∗ b = (−1)|a|·|b| b ∗ a (graded commutativity), and
(5) (a ∗ b) ∗ c = a ∗ (b ∗ c) (associativity).
We will also consider non-associative multiplications. To make this precise,
we call a map ∗ : F ⊗S F → F a multiplication if it satisfies all the axioms of a
DGA except possibly the associativity. Moreover, we make the convention that
in this paper, every multiplication respects the multigrading on F, unless specified
otherwise. The only occasion when we consider more general multiplication is in
Section 5.
While F does not always admit a DGA structure, it always admits a multiplication, cf. [BE77, Prop 1.1], and the multiplication is unique up to homotopy. Explicitly, this means that when ∗1 , ∗2 are two multiplications, then there
exist a map σ : F ⊗S F → F raising the homological degree by 1 such that
a ∗1 b = a ∗2 b + ∂σ(a, b) + σ(∂a, b) + (−1)|a| σ(a, ∂b) for a, b ∈ F;
1.2. The Taylor resolution and the Scarf complex. We recall the definitions
of the Taylor resolution and the Scarf complex of I. We refer the reader to
p.67 and Section 6.2 of [MS05], respectively, for further information about these
constructions.
Let G(I) denote the set of minimal monomial generators of I and choose a
total order ≺ on G(I). The choice of the order affects only the signs in the
computations.

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LUKAS KATTHÄN

Definition 1.2. The Taylor resolution T of S/I is the complex of free S-modules
with basis {gW : W ⊆ G(I)}. The basis elements are graded by |gW | := #W
and deg gW := deg mW , where mW := lcm(m : m ∈ W ) for W ⊆ G(I). Further,
the differential is given by
X
mW
∂gW =
(−1)σ(m,W )
gW \{m} ,
mW \{m}
m∈W
where σ(m, W ) := #{m′ ∈ W, m′ ≺ m}.
The Taylor resolution is a free resolution of S/I, but typically not a minimal
one. It was shown by Gemeda [Gem76] (see also [Pee10, Proposition 31.3]) that
it carries a DGA structure with the multiplication given by

(−1)σ(W,V ) mW mV

gW ∗ gV = 
0

mW ∪V

gW ∪V

if W ∩ V = ∅,
otherwise,

where σ(W, V ) := #{(m, m′ ) ∈ W × V : m′ ≺ m}. To simplify the notation we
occasionally write gm1 m2 ... instead of g{m1 ,m2 ,... } for m1 , m2 , . . . ∈ G(I).
Definition 1.3. The Scarf complex ∆I of S/I is the simplicial complex with
vertex set G(I), where a set W ⊂ G(I) is contained in ∆I if and only if there
does not exist another set V ⊂ G(I) with V 6= W and lcm(m : m ∈ W ) =
lcm(m : m ∈ V ).
Moreover, the algebraic Scarf complex F∆I is the subcomplex of the Taylor
resolution generated by the generators gW , W ∈ ∆I .
The algebraic Scarf complex is always a subcomplex of the minimal free resolution of S/I (cf. [MS05, Proposition 6.12]), but in general it is not acyclic.
We will therefore use the notation gW for generators of F which lie in the Scarf
complex.
1.3. The squarefree part. The following very basic observation turns out to
be the key to many of our results:
Lemma 1.4. Let F be a free S-module and a ∈ Nn . Assume that the degree
of every generator of F is less or equal to a. Then every element f ∈ F with
deg f  a can be written as f = mf ′ for a monomial m ∈ S and f ′ ∈ F with
deg f ′ = (deg f ) ∧ a. Both m and f ′ are uniquely determined.
This lemma is almost obvious, but we include a proof for completeness.
Proof. Choose a basis of F and let G be the set of those basis elements whose
degrees are less or equal than deg f . By assumption, f can be written as a linear
combination of elements of G, and we write cg for the coefficient of g in this
expansion. Then it holds that
f=

X

g∈G

cg xdeg(f )−deg(g) g = xdeg(f )−(a∧deg(f ))

X

cg x(a∧deg(f ))−deg(g) g.

g∈G

All exponents are non-negative by our hypothesis, so we have shown the existence
of the claimed factorization.
The uniqueness of m is trivial, because there is only one monomial of the
correct multidegree. Using this, the uniqueness of f ′ follows from the fact that S
is a domain and F is torsion-free.


STRUCTURE OF DGA STRUCTURES

5

Definition 1.5. Let F be a free S-module, such that the degree every generator is
squarefree, i.e. less or equal than (1, . . . , 1) ∈ Nn . In the situation of Lemma 1.4,
we call f ′ the squarefree part of f and denote it by |f |sqf .
Note that the map f 7→ |f |sqf is k-linear, but not S-linear. We will apply
this definition almost exclusively to the minimal free resolution F of a S/I for a
squarefree monomial ideal I ⊂ S.

2. Existence of DGA structures up to multiplication with an
element
Our first result is the following theorem. It implies that it is enough modify the
last map of a minimal free resolution to ensure the existence of a DGA structure.
Theorem 2.1. Let S be a regular local ring, or a polynomial ring and I ⊆ S an
ideal. There exists a homogeneous element s ∈ S, s 6= 0 such that the minimal
free resolution of S/(sI) admits a DGA structure.
If I is a monomial ideal (and S a polynomial ring), then s can be chosen to be
the least common multiple of the generators of I.
We need the following lemma for the proof of the Theorem.
±
n
Lemma 2.2. Let Q = k[t±
1 , . . . , tn ] be a Z -graded Laurent polynomial for n ≥ 0.
Let

F:

0 → Fp → · · · → F1 → F0 → 0

be an exact complex of graded Q-modules and assume that F0 = Q. Then the
multiplication on F0 can be extended to a graded-commutative DGA structure on
F.
Proof. Let ∂ denote the differential of F. We claim that there exists a map
σ : F → F of homological degree 1 such that ∂ ◦ σ + σ ◦ ∂ = idF and σ ◦ σ = 0.
Indeed, every graded module over Q is free (cf. [GW78, Theorem 1.1.4]), so we
can choose splittings Fi ∼
= Vi ⊕ ∂(Fi+1 ). We define σi |Vi = 0 and σi (∂(f )) = f for
f ∈ Fi+1 . It is not difficult to see that this gives indeed a map σ with the claimed
properties.
We define the DGA structure on F inductively by the formula
a ∗ b :=


ab


σ ∂(a) ∗ b + (−1)|a| a ∗ ∂(b)

if |a| = 0 or |b| = 0
otherwise,

where the multiplication in the first case is the one from F0 = Q.
This multiplication clearly satisfies the Leibniz rule and it extends the multiplication on F0 . It remains to show that ∗ is graded-commutative and associative.
Note that σ = σ ◦ ∂ ◦ σ. We proceed by induction on the homological degree, the

6

LUKAS KATTHÄN

base case being clear. It holds for a, b, c ∈ F:


a ∗ (b ∗ c) = σ ∂(a ∗ (b ∗ c))





= σ ∂a ∗ (b ∗ c) + (−1)|a| a ∗ (∂b ∗ c) + (−1)|a|+|b| a ∗ (b ∗ ∂c)
(#)





= σ (∂a ∗ b) ∗ c + (−1)|a| (a ∗ ∂b) ∗ c + (−1)|a|+|b| (a ∗ b) ∗ ∂c


= σ ∂((a ∗ b) ∗ c)





= (a ∗ b) ∗ c
where in (#) we use the induction hypothesis. The commutativity is verified
analogously.

Proof of Theorem 2.1. Let F be the minimal free resolution of S/I. Let Q be the
subring of the field of fractions of S where we adjoin inverses for all homogeneous
elements of S, and set FQ := F ⊗S Q. Note that Q is a multivariate Laurent
polynomial ring over some field k. Moreover, Q is flat over S and hence FQ is
exact. So by Lemma 2.2, it can be endowed with a DGA structure ∗.
Choose a basis for each Fi . Then the multiplication on FQ can be represented
as a matrix with entries in Q. Hence we can choose an element s ∈ S such
that sq ∈ S for each entry q of this matrix. Let F′ be the subcomplex of F
defined by F′0 := F0 and F′i := sFi for i ≥ 1. We claim that F′ is closed under
multiplication. Indeed, for sa, ab ∈ F′ the choice of s implies that s(a ∗ b) ∈ F
and thus (sa ∗ sb) ∈ F′ .
Note that F′ is isomorphic to F except in degree 0, so in particular it is exact
in every other degree. In degree 0, it holds that H0 (F′ ) = F0 /∂(sF1 ) = S/(sI).
Thus F′ is the minimal free resolution of S/(sI).
Finally, consider the case that I is a monomial ideal in a polynomial ring
S = k[x1 , . . . , xn ]. Let a, b ∈ F be two homogeneous elements. The product
a ∗ b ∈ FQ can be written as a sum
X

λg xdeg(a)+deg(b)−deg(g) g

g∈B

where B is an S-basis of F and λg ∈ k. Let now s be the lcm of all generators
of I. Then the multidegrees of all elements of B are less or equal to deg(s), and
hence s(a ∗ b) ∈ F. Now one can argue as above.

3. Properties of multiplications
3.1. Uniqueness. The multiplication on F is in general not unique. However, the
part of the multiplication which lives on the algebraic Scarf complex is uniquely
determined, as the next proposition shows.
Proposition 3.1. Let I ⊂ S be a squarefree monomial ideal with minimal free
resolution F, and let further ∗ be a multiplication on F. Then, for V, W ∈ ∆I
with V ∪ W ∈ ∆I , it holds that
gW ∗ gV =


(−1)σ(W,V ) mW mV
mW ∪V

0

gW ∪V

if W ∩ V = ∅,
otherwise;

STRUCTURE OF DGA STRUCTURES

7

where σ(W, V ) is defined as above. In particular, the product gW ∗ gV does not
depend on the choice of ∗.
Proof. Let B be an S-basis for F. For every g ∈ B there exists a (not necessarily
unique) subset Ug ⊂ G(I) such that deg g = deg mUg and |g| = #Ug . This
follows from the fact that F is a direct summand of the Taylor resolution.
Expand gW ∗ gV in the basis B:
gW ∗ gV =

X

cg g.

g∈B

Assume that cg 6= 0 for some g ∈ B. As I is squarefree, it holds that deg mUg =
deg g ≤ deg |gW ∗gV |sqf = deg(gW )∨deg(gV ) = deg mW ∪V . Hence deg mUg ∪W ∪V =
deg mW ∪V . But W ∪ V is contained in the Scarf complex, and hence it follows
that Ug ∪ W ∪ V = W ∪ V and hence Ug ⊆ V ∪ W . On the other hand, it holds
that #Ug = |g| = #W + #V ≥ #(W ∪ V ). So we can conclude that Ug = V ∪ W
and that #W + #V = #(W ∪ V ). Hence if W and V intersect non-trivially then
V
gW ∗ gV is zero, and if they are disjoint, then gW ∗ gV = λ mmWWm
gW ∪V for a scalar
∪V
λ ∈ k. It is clear by induction that the scalars λ are uniquely determined by
the Leibniz rule. Moreover, the values given in the claim satisfy the Leibniz rule,
hence we have determined the product gW ∗ gV .

The following example show that the multiplication is not unique in general.
This answers a question of Buchsbaum and Eisenbud [Pee10, Open Problems
31.4].
Example 3.2. Let I ⊂ S = Q[x1 , x2 , x3 , x4 , y, z] be the ideal with generators
a := x1 x2 y, b := x2 x3 , c := x3 x4 z and d := x4 x1 . One can verify with Macaulay2
that the minimal free resolution F of S/I equals its algebraic Scarf complex. The
Scarf complex ∆I is the following simplicial complex:
c
d
a

b
Consider the product ga ∗ gc . Both a and c are vertices of ∆I , but {a, c} ∈
/ ∆I ,
so the preceding Proposition does not apply. And indeed, for any λ ∈ k the
choice
ga ∗ gc := λ(x4 zgab + x1 ygbc ) (1 − λ)(x3 zgad − x2 ygcd )
satisfies the Leibniz rule. This can be extended to a multiplication on F, which
is even a DGA structure, because the length of the resolution is three (cf. [BE77,
Prop 1.3])
The next example illustrates that one cannot omit the assumption of I being
squarefree from Proposition 3.1.
Example 3.3. Consider the ideal I ⊂ S = k[x, y, z] generated by a := x2 , b :=
xy and c := xz. The algebraic Scarf complex of this ideal coincides with its
Taylor resolution T. So if I were squarefree, then the DGA structure on T
described above were the only possible multiplication. However, we can modify
the multiplication by setting gb ∗ gc := zgab − ygac . The Leibniz rule requires that
in addition we set gb ∗ gac := gc ∗ gab := 0. See Table 1 for the full multiplication
table of this new multiplication. It is even a DGA structure, again because the
projective dimension of S/I is less then four.

8

LUKAS KATTHÄN

∗
ga
gb
gc
gab
gac
gbc
gabc

ga
gb
gc
0
xgab
xgac
−xgab
0
zgab − ygac
−xgac −zgab + ygac
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
xgabc
0
0
0
0
0
Table 1. The multiplication table

gab gac gbc gabc
0
0 xgabc 0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
of Example 3.3.

3.2. Structure. The next result shows that if I is squarefree, then F is essentially
generated in degree 1 for any multiplication on it:
Proposition 3.4. Let I ⊂ S be a squarefree monomial ideal with minimal free
resolution F. Let ∗ be a multiplication on F. Then every homogeneous element
f ∈ F of squarefree degree can be written as
f=

X

|g1,j ∗ (g2,j ∗ (· · · (g|f |−1,j ∗ g|f |,j ) · · · )|sqf ,

j

for gℓ,j ∈ F1 for 1 ≤ ℓ ≤ |f | and all j.
Proof. Let g1,1 ∈ F1 be a basis element with deg g1,1 ≤ f . Such an element exists,
because f is a linear combination of basis elements, and the degree of each basis
element is an lcm of degrees of basis elements of F1 . Note that deg g1,1 ≤ deg f
implies that f = |∂(g1,1 ) ∗ f |sqf . Hence it holds that
r := f − |g1,1 ∗ ∂f |sqf = |∂(g1,1 ∗ f )|sqf = ∂(|g1,1 ∗ f |sqf ) ∈ mF.
In the last step we used that F is minimal, so ∂F ⊂ mF. Now, ∂f has a smaller
homological degree than f , so it can be decomposed into a product by induction.
Moreover, note that r ∈ mF implies that r is a S-linear combination of elements
of Fi of strictly smaller degree than f . So these elements can be decomposed by
induction as well. To conclude that f can be decomposed as claimed, we note the
following fact: Whenever for f ′ ∈ F and a monomial m ∈ S it holds that m|f ′ |sqf
is squarefree, then it follows that m|f ′ |sqf = |m(|f ′ |sqf )|sqf = |mf ′ |sqf .

The preceding result does not hold if I not squarefree.
Example 3.5. Consider the multiplication constructed in Example 3.3. Under
that multiplication, gbc cannot be written as a product of elements of degree one.
We will see in Section 6 below that every monomial ideal admits at least one
multiplication which satisfies the conclusion of Proposition 3.4. This is no longer
true for more general ideals. Indeed, if I ⊂ S is a homogeneous ideal with three
generators satisfying the conclusion of Proposition 3.4, then the third Betti number is bounded by the number of non-associative, graded-commutative products
of three elements. On the other hand, it is a celebrated result of Bruns [Bru76]
that any free resolution can be modified to yield a resolution of an ideal with three
generators, so there does not exist a global bound on the third Betti number.
The preceding proposition leads to the following structure theorem for DGA
structures on F:

STRUCTURE OF DGA STRUCTURES

9

Theorem 3.6. Let I ⊂ S be a squarefree monomial ideal. Assume that the
minimal resolution F of S/I is a multigraded DGA.
Then there exists a DG-ideal J ⊂ T in the Taylor resolution of S/I, such that
∼
F = T/J as multigraded DGAs over S.
−1
Proof. Let Q := S[x−1
1 , . . . , xn ] denote the Laurent polynomial ring. As T ⊗S Q
is an exterior algebra over Q, we can define a map ϕ : T ⊗S Q → F ⊗S Q of
DGAs by setting ϕ(gm ) := gm , where the latter is interpreted as element of the
algebraic Scarf complex of S/I.
We need to show that ϕ restricts to a map ϕ : T → F, where we consider T
and F as subalgebras of T ⊗ Q and F ⊗ Q in the natural way. For this, consider
a subset A = {m1 < m2 < . . . < ms } ⊆ G(I). It holds that
m1 ∨ · · · ∨ ms
gA =
gm1 ∗ gm2 ∗ · · · ∗ gms ,
m1 · · · ms
and, consequently, that
m1 ∨ · · · ∨ ms
ϕ1 (gm1 ) ∗ ϕ1 (gm2 ) · · · ϕ(gms )
ϕ(gA ) =
m1 · · · ms
= |ϕ1 (gm1 ) ∗ ϕ1 (gm2 ) · · · ϕ(gms )|sqf .

The last expression is clearly contained in F, and as T is generated by the elements
(gA )A⊆G(I) it follows that ϕ maps T to F.
It remains to show that the restriction of ϕ to T is surjective onto F. But this is
clear from Proposition 3.4, because ϕ is surjective in homological degree 1 and it
commutes with taking the squarefree part (the latter holds for any homogeneous
morphism).

The following example shows that one cannot omit the assumption of squarefreeness in the preceding Theorem.
Example 3.7. We continue with Example 3.3 and consider the DGAs structure
on F constructed in that example. Let ϕ : T ⊗ Q → F ⊗ Q the map from the
proof of Theorem 3.6. Then
1
1
z
y
ϕ(gbc ) = ϕ( gb ∗ gc ) = ϕ(gb ) ∗ ϕ(gc ) = − gab + gac ,
x
x
x
x
which is not contained in F. So ϕ does not restrict to a map T → F in this case.
In fact, F is not the image of T under any map of DGAs, because F ⊗ Q is not
generated in homological degree 1.
The next example illustrates how one can use Theorem 3.6 to prove that a
given ideal does not admit a (multigraded) minimal DGA resolution.
Example 3.8. Let I ⊆ S = Q[x1 , x2 , x3 , x4 , x5 , x6 ] be the ideal generated by
a := x1 x2 , b := x2 x3 , c := x3 x4 , d := x4 x5 and e := x5 x6 . This is a well-known
example by Avramov which does not admit a minimal DGA resolution [Avr81,
Example I].
Assume for the contrary that its minimal free resolution F admits a DGA
structure. Then by Theorem 3.6 there exists a DG-ideal J ⊂ T in its Taylor
S
resolution such that F = T/J. We have that β3,(1,1,1,1,0,0)
(S/I) = 0 and hence
gabc ∈ J. As J is a DG-ideal, it also holds that (∂gabc ) ∗ ge ∈ J. Moreover,
gabc ∗ gd = x3 gabcd ∈ J. As T/J is free, J is saturated with respect to the

10

LUKAS KATTHÄN

S
variables and hence also gabcd ∈ J. Similarly, β3,(0,0,1,1,1,1)
(S/I) = 0 implies that
ga ∗ (∂gcde ) ∈ J and gbcde ∈ J. It follows that

f := (∂gabc ) ∗ ge − ga ∗ (∂gcde ) − x1 ∂gbcde − x4 ∂gabcd
= x2 x23 gabe − x22 x3 gade + x1 x2 x3 gbde − x2 x3 x4 gabd
is contained in J. On the other hand, the sets {a, b, e}, {a, d, e}, {b, d, e} and
{a, b, d} lie in the Scarf complex of I, so the images of the corresponding generators of T are part of a basis of F. But this is a contradiction, because f is a
relation between these elements.
4. Consequences of the existence
4.1. Betti numbers. In this section, we prove the following characterization of
the possible Betti vectors of squarefree monomial ideals admitting minimal DGA
resolutions.
Theorem 4.1. Let f = (1, f1 , f2 , . . . ) ∈ Nν be a finite sequence of natural numbers. Then the following conditions are equivalent:
(1) There exists a squarefree monomial ideal I in some polynomial ring S
whose minimal free resolution is a DGA, such that βiS (S/I) = fi for all i.
(2) f is the f -vector of a simplicial complex ∆ which is a cone.
Recall that the f -vectors of simplicial complexes are characterized by the
Kruskal-Katona theorem [Sta96, Theorem 2.1]. From this one can derive an explicit characterization of the f -vectors of cones, see also [Kal85]. For the implication “1) ⇒ 2)” we use the following general result.
L

Proposition 4.2. Let A = k≥0 Ak be a DGA over a field k. Assume that
A0 = k, that A is generated in degree 1, that dimk A1 ≤ ∞ and finally that the
differential of A is not identically zero. Then the Hilbert function of A equals the
f -vector of a simplicial complex which is a cone.
Aramova, Herzog and Hibi [AHH97, Theorem 4.1] characterize the Hilbert functions of graded-commutative algebras which are generated in degree one. These
are indeed the same as f -vectors of simplicial complexes. Our result extends this,
as we show showing that the existence of a non-zero differential yields a further
restriction to the Hilbert series.
Proof. Let C ⊂ A be the subalgebra of cycles. We claim that C is also generated
in degree 1 and that A ∼
= C ⊕ C[−1] as k-vector space, where C[−1] denotes
the vector space C with degrees shifted by one. These two claims are sufficient
to prove our result. Indeed, by the above mentioned [AHH97, Theorem 4.1], the
Hilbert function of C is the f -vector of some simplicial complex ∆. An elementary
computation shows that in this case the Hilbert function of A ∼
= C ⊕ C[−1] is
the f -vector of the cone over ∆.
Now we turn to the proof of our claims. Let C1 ⊂ A1 be the space of cycles in A1
and write C ′ for the algebra generated by them. By assumption, the differential
∂ of A does not vanish identically. As A is generated in degree one, the Leibniz
rule implies that the first component ∂1 : A1 → A0 = k is nonzero, hence there
exists an element f ∈ A1 with ∂f = 1 and (thus) A1 = C1 ⊕ kf . The latter
implies that A ∼
= C ′ + f C ′.

STRUCTURE OF DGA STRUCTURES

11

Hence any element a ∈ A can be written as a = c1 + f c2 with c1 , c2 ∈ C ′ .
In particular, if a ∈ C, then 0 = ∂a = c2 , so a = c1 ∈ C ′ and thus C = C ′ is
generated in degree one.
For the second claim, we first note that A ∼
= C ⊕ f C. Indeed, for any f c ∈ C ′ ∩
′
f C it holds that 0 = ∂(f c) = c. Finally, it remains to show that f C ∼
= C(−1).
For this it is sufficient to show that the multiplication by f is injective on C.
But this is clear, because ∂(f c) = c for any c ∈ C, so the differential provides a
left-inverse.

Proof of Theorem 4.1. 1) ⇒ 2) Let Q be the field of fractions of S and let F the
minimal free resolution of I. It follows from Proposition 3.4 that F ⊗S Q is generated in degree 1 as Q-algebra. Hence the claim is immediate from Proposition 4.2,
applied to F ⊗S Q.
2) ⇒ 1) Set k := f1 . Let ∆ ⊂ 2k be a simplicial complex whose f -vector
equals f which is a cone with apex 1. We can find a monomial ideal I in some
polynomial ring S, such that the lcm-lattice of I equals the face lattice of ∆,
augmented by a maximal element (cf. [IKMF14, Theorem 3.4], [Map13]).
Then ∆ is the Scarf complex of I. As ∆ is acyclic, its f -vector equals the Betti
vector of I (this can be seen by computing the Betti numbers via the lcm lattice,
see [GPW99, Theorem 2.1]).
It remains to show that the minimal free resolution of I admits a DGA structure. Let T be Taylor resolution of I. We identify the set of generators of I with
the set [k] of vertices of ∆. To construct the minimal free resolution of S/I we
use discrete Morse theory [JW09; Skö06]. Let us recall the relevant aspects of
this technique. Let G be the directed graph with vertex set 2[k] and edges from
V to W whenever the coefficient of gV in the expansion of ∂gW is nonzero. A
Morse matching M is a collection of edges (V, W ) in this graph with the following
properties:
(a) M is a matching, i.e. the edges are disjoint,
(b) reversing all edges of M in G results in an acyclic graph, and
(c) deg gV = deg gW for all (V, W ) ∈ M.
Given such a Morse matching, define
JM := spank {gW , ∂gW : ∃V ∈ 2[k] , (V, W ) ∈ M}.
Then the complex TM := T/JM is a free resolution of S/I, and it has a k-basis
is given by the images of gW for those W ∈ 2[k] which do not appear in the
matching.
In our situation we define the Morse matching:
M := {(gW \{1} , gW ) : W ⊂ [k], W ∈
/ ∆, 1 ∈ W }
Recall that we assumed 1 to be the apex of ∆, so W ∈
/ ∆ and 1 ∈ W imply that
W \ {1} ∈
/ ∆. This is clearly a matching, and it is easy to see that it satisfies
property (b). For property (c), recall that the lcm lattice LI of I is ∆, together
with an additional maximal element. We are only matching generators which
are not in ∆, so the degrees of all those generators correspond to the maximal
element of LI , and thus they are equal.
Finally, the unmatched generators correspond exactly to the faces of ∆. As
we know that the Betti vector of I equals the f -vector of ∆, we can conclude

12

LUKAS KATTHÄN

that TM := T/JM is a minimal free resolution of S/I. On the other hand, by
our choice of the matching M, JM is in fact a DG-ideal and hence TM is a
DG-algebra.

We give an example to show that the assumptions of I being squarefree and
admitting a minimal DGA resolution are both necessary in Theorem 4.1.
Example 4.3. Consider the ideal I := hx1 x2 , x2 x3 , x3 x4 , x4 x5 , x5 x6 , x6 x1 i ⊂
Q[x1 , . . . , x6 ]. Using Macaulay2 [GS], one can compute that its total Betti numbers are (1, 6, 9, 6, 2). We claim that this is not the f -vector of any simplicial
complex. Indeed, such a simplicial complex would have two 3-simplices. As each
3-simplex has three 2-faces, and the two 3-simplices can only share one 2-face,
we would need a total of at least seven 2-faces, but we have only six.
On the other hand, by Theorem 2.1 there exists a monomial m ∈ S such that
mI admits a minimal DGA resolution. However, mI is not squarefree, and indeed
its Betti vector still does not satisfy the conclusion of Theorem 4.1, as it conicides
with the Betti vector of I.
4.2. Subadditivity of syzygies. For a monomial ideal I ⊂ S and 0 ≤ i ≤
pdim S/I we define
S
ti := max{j : βi,j
(S/I) 6= 0}.
We say that the syzygies of I are subadditive when tb ≤ ta + tb−a for all a, b
such that 1 ≤ a < b ≤ pdim S/I. Not every ideal has this property [ACI15],
but among monomial ideals no counterexample is known. Here, we show that
for squarefree monomial ideals, the existence of a DGA structure on the minimal
free resolution implies the subadditivity of syzygies.
Proposition 4.4. If I ⊂ S is a squarefree monomial ideal which admits a minimal DGA resolution F, then its syzygies are subadditive.
The following lemma is needed for the proof of this result.
Lemma 4.5. Let f, g ∈ F be homogeneous. If |f ∗ g|sqf ∈
/ mF, then there exist
f ′ , g ′ ∈ F \ mF of the same homological degrees as f and g, respectively, such that
deg(f ) ∨ deg(g) = deg(f ′ ) ∨ deg(g ′ ).
P

P

Proof. By choosing a basis of F, we may write f = i λi ci fi and g = j µj dj gj ,
with λi , µi ∈ k, ci , dj ∈ S monomials and fi , gj ∈ F \ mF. By our assumption,
P
/ mF. So at least one summand is not contained
|f ∗g|sqf = i,j λi µj |cidj fi ∗gj |sqf ∈
in mF, say |c1 d1 f1 ∗ g1 |sqf . It follows easily from the definition of the squarefree
part that there exists a monomial m ∈ S such that |c1 d1 f1 ∗ g1 |sqf = m|f1 ∗ g1 |sqf .
But this does not lie in mF, so we can conclude that m = 1 and the claim follows
with f ′ := f1 and g ′ := g1 .

Proof of Proposition 4.4. Let f ∈ Fb be an element of total degree tb and we may
assume that f ∈
/ mF. By Proposition 3.4, we can write f as
f=

X

|g1,j ∗ (g2,j ∗ (· · · (gi−1,j ∗ gi,j ) · · · )|sqf ,

j

for gℓ,j ∈ F1 for 1 ≤ ℓ ≤ i and all j. As f ∈
/ mF, the same holds for at least one
summand, say for j = 1.

STRUCTURE OF DGA STRUCTURES

13

Using that the multiplication on F is associative, we may rewrite that summand
as |(g1,1 · · · ga,1 ) ∗ (ga+1,1 · · · gb,1)|sqf . Now we apply Lemma 4.5 to this product to
obtain f ′ ∈ Fa and g ′ ∈ Fb−a which are both not contained in mF and satisfy
deg f = deg(f ′ ) ∨ deg(g ′). Thus we conclude that
tb = deg(f ) = deg(f ′ ) ∨ deg(g ′ ) ≤ deg(f ′ ) + deg(g ′) ≤ ta + tb−a

If we do not assume that F admits a DGA structure, then our methods still
suffice to show the case a = 1. This was first shown by Herzog and Srinivasan in
[HS15, Corollary 4] using a different method.
Corollary 4.6. For a monomial ideal I ⊂ S, it holds that ti ≤ t1 + ti−1 for all
2 ≤ i ≤ pdim S/I.
Proof. We may replace I by its polarization and so assume it is squarefree. Further, choose any multiplication on F. Now we just note that the proof of Proposition 4.4 does not require the multiplication to be associative if a = 1.

5. Strongly generic ideals
A monomial ideal is called strongly generic if no variable appears with the same
nonzero exponent in two distinct generators of I. This class of ideals was introduced and studied by Bayer, Peeva and Sturmfels [BPS98] 1, see also Chapter 6
of [MS05]. Strongly generic ideals have a number of desirable properties, and in
particular their minimal free resolution is given by the algebraic Scarf complex
[BPS98, Theorem 3.2]. However, this condition is not sufficient to ensure that the
ideal admits a minimal DGA resolution.
Theorem 5.1. The ideal hx2 , xy, y 2z 2 , zw, w 2 i ⊂ k[x, y, z, w] is strongly generic,
but its minimal free resolution does not admit the structure of a DGA, whose
multiplication respects the standard Z-grading.
This example is a variation of Example 3.8. The proof of Theorem 5.1 is very
technical, so we postpone it and discuss the result first.
Remark 5.2. Corollary 3.6 in [BPS98] states that strongly generic monomial
ideals admit a minimal DGA resolution. I was informed by I. Peeva that the
authors of that article are aware that the claim does not hold as stated and that
the statement and the proof were supposed to include an additional combinatorial
condition.
Theorem 5.1 implies that various kinds of resolutions do not admit a DGA
structure in general.
Corollary 5.3.
(1) There exists a monomial ideal whose hull resolution [BS98]
does not admit a DGA structure.
(2) There exists a monomial ideal whose Lyubeznik resolution [Lyu88] does
not admit a DGA structure.
1In

[BPS98] these ideals are called generic. In the later article [MSY00] a weaker notion of
genericity was introduced and the original one is called strongly generic since then.

14

LUKAS KATTHÄN

(3) There exists a monomial ideal whose minimal free resolution is supported
on a simplicial complex (and in particular cellular) [BS98], but it does not
admit a DGA structure.
Proof. The ideal of Theorem 5.1 provides the counterexample in all three cases.
This ideal is generic, so its minimal free resolution is supported in its Scarf
complex and it coincides with its hull resolution [MS05, Theorem 6.13]. The
Lyubeznik resolution depends on the choice of a total order on the generators. One can check that the Lyubeznik resolution with respect to the order
xy ≺ zw ≺ x2 ≺ y 2z 2 ≺ w 2 is minimal.

In fact, the minimal free resolution of Avramov’s Example 3.8 can also be
given the structure of a cellular resolution, though not with a simplicial complex
as support.
Proof of Theorem 5.1. In this proof we use both the multigrading and the standard Z-grading, so we refer to the latter as the total degree.
Let S = k[x, y, z, w] and let I be the ideal of the statement. We give names to
its generators as follows:
a := x2 , b := xy, c := y 2z 2 , d := zw, e := w 2
The Scarf complex ∆I is the simplicial complex with the facets {b, c, d} and
{a, b, d, e}. As mentioned above, the minimal free resolution F of S/I is given by
its algebraic Scarf complex. The generators of F are listed in Table 2, together
with their total degrees.
Assume that F admits an associative multiplication which respects the Zgrading, which we denote by ∗. The map ∗ : F ⊗ F → F can be decomposed
into its homogeneous components with respect to the Z4 -grading. We write × for
the component of multidegree (0, 0, 0, 0). Because the differential on F respects
the multigrading, × also satisfies the Leibniz rule and lifts the multiplication
on S/I. Hence, by the uniqueness of the multiplication, there exists a map
σ : F ⊗ F → F[1] such that
a ∗ b = a × b + δσ(a, b)
for a, b ∈ F, where δσ = ∂ ◦ σ + σ ◦ ∂. Moreover, the component of σ in
multidegree (0, 0, 0, 0) vanishes, because ∗ and × coincide in this degree. We
proceed by proving a series of claims.
Claim 1. For i, j, k ∈ {a, b, d, e}, all products of the form gi × gj and gi × gjk
coincide with the corresponding products from the Taylor resolution.
If I were squarefree, then this would follow from Proposition 3.1. However, as
I is not squarefree, we need to verify this. We start in homological degree 2. For
any i, j ∈ {a, b, d, e}, i 6= j, one can verify that the product gi × gj is a multiple of
gcd(i, j)gij , because there is no other element of the correct multidegree. Then
the Leibniz rule implies that gi × gj = ± gcd(i, j)gij . Moreover gi × gi = 0,
because ∗ and thus × was assumed to be graded-commutative.
Next, gi ×gij = 0 for all i, j because it is clearly a cycle, and the only boundary
of homological degree 3 is ∂gabde , which has a different multidegree. Moreover, for
pairwise distinct i, j, k ∈ {a, b, d, e}, it follows again by inspection that gi × gjk
is a multiple of gcd(i, lcm(j, k))gijk because this is the only element with the

STRUCTURE OF DGA STRUCTURES

ga , gb , gd , ge
gc
gab , gde
gad , gae , gbd , gbe
gbc , gcd
gijk 6= gbcd
gbcd
gabde
Table 2. The degrees of the

15

2
3
3
4
5
5
6
6
generators of F.

required multidegree, and again the Leibniz rule determines the coefficient to be
±1.
In fact, the other products in the subalgebra generated by ga , gb , gd and gd also
coincide with the product from the Taylor resolution, but we do not need this.
Claim 2. It holds that (ga × gc ) × ge − ga × (gc × ge ) = yz∂gabde
By considering the multigrading and using the Leibnitz rule as above, one can
show that ga × gc = yz 2 gab + xgbc and gc × ge = wgcd + y 2 zgde . Using this and
Claim 1, one can compute that
∂(gbc × ge ) = ∂(wgbcd + yzgbde ).
This implies that gbc × ge = wgbcd + yzgbde + ∂(f ) for some f ∈ F4 . But the
x-component of the multidegree of every element in F4 is at least 2, hence f = 0.
Now we can compute that
(ga × gc ) × ge = yz 2 gab × ge + xgbc × ge = yz 2 gabe + xwgbcd + xyzgbde .
Using essentially the same reasoning one can also show that
ga × (gc × ge ) = y 2zgade + xwgbcd + yzwgabd .
Hence it follows that (ga × gc ) × ge − ga × (gc × ge ) = yz∂gabde .
Claim 3. For any f ∈ F it holds that σ(1k , f ) = σ(f, 1k ) = 0.
For f ∈ F it holds that
f = 1k ∗ f = 1k × f + ∂σ(1k , f ) + σ(∂1k , f ) +σ(1k , ∂f )
|

{z

=0

}

and hence ∂σ(1k , f ) + σ(1k , ∂f ) = 0.
We proceed now by induction on |f |. Consider the case |f | = 0, i.e f = 1k .
Then σ(1k , 1k ) has multidegree (0, 0, 0, 0) and homological degree 1, which is only
possible if σ(1k , 1k ) = 0.
Assume now that |f | = i and σ(1k , g) = 0 for all g ∈ F with |g| < i. Then
∂σ(1k , f ) = −σ(1k , ∂f ) = 0 by the induction hypothesis. As F is acyclic, there
exist an h ∈ F with |h| = |f | + 2 such that ∂h = σ(1k , f ). We may assume that f
is a generator of F. Now, inspection of Table 2 shows that for no generator f of F
there exist an element h with deg h = deg f and |h| = |f | + 2. Hence σ(1k , f ) = 0.
Claim 4. It holds that σ(gi , gj ) = 0 for i, j 6= c.

16

LUKAS KATTHÄN

If σ(gi , gj ) 6= 0 for i, j 6= c, then it is an element of total degree 4 and homological degree 3. But by Table 2, no such element exists.
Claim 5. It holds that gi ∗ gj = gi × gj for i, j 6= c.
In general we have that gi ∗ gj = gi × gj + ∂σ(gi , gj ) + σ(∂gi , gj ) + σ(gi , ∂gj ).
All terms involving σ vanish because of Claim 3 and Claim 4.
Claim 6. For i, j, k ∈ {a, b, d, e}, it holds that σ(gi , gjk ) = 0.
First, assume that i = j or i = k. We only consider the case i = j, the other
case is similar. For this, we compute that
Cl. 5

Cl. 1

0 = (gi ∗ gi ) ∗ gj = gi ∗ (gi ∗ gj ) = gi ∗ (gi × gj ) = ±µgi ∗ gij
Cl. 3

= ±µ(gi × gij +δσ(gi , gij )) = ±µ∂σ(gi , gij ),
|

{z

=0

}

where µ = gcd(i, j). The differential is injective in homological degree 4, hence
∂σ(gi , gij ) = 0 implies that σ(gi , gij ) = 0.
Now we consider the case that i, j, k are all different. Then {i, j, k} contains
either a and b, or d and e. We only consider the first case, the other one is similar.
If {j, k} = {a, b} then σ(gi , gab ) = 0 holds for degree reasons, see Table 2. So
assume that i ∈ {a, b}. Again, we assume without loss of generality that i = a.
Then either j or k equals b, say j. We compute that
Cl. 5

(ga ∗ gb ) ∗ gk = (ga × gb ) ∗ gk = xgab ∗ gk = xgab × gk + xδσ(gab , gk )
(∗)

= xgabk + xδσ(gab , gk )

Cl. 4

= xgabk + x∂ σ(gab , gk ),
|

{z

=0

}

where in (∗) we used Claim 1 and that gcd(x, k) = 1 for k ∈ {d, e}. On the
other hand, a similar computation shows that ga ∗ (gb ∗ gk ) = xgabk + ∂σ(ga , gbk ),
where we use that gcd(b, k) = 1. The assumption that ∗ is associative implies
that ∂σ(ga , gbk ) = 0 and thus σ(ga , gbk ) because ∂ is injective in homological
degree 4.
Claim 7. It holds that ga ∗ (gc ∗ ge ) − (ga ∗ gc ) ∗ ge 6= 0.
Let us compute the associator of ga , gc and ge :
ga ∗ (gc ∗ ge ) − (ga ∗ gc ) ∗ ge =
ga × (gc × ge ) − (ga × gc ) × ge +
δσ(ga , gc × ge ) − δσ(ga × gc , ge )+
ga × δσ(gc , ge ) − δσ(ga , gc ) × ge +
δσ(ga , δσ(gc , ge )) − δσ(δσ(ga , gc ), ge )
We know that ga × (gc × ge ) − (ga × gc ) × ge = yz∂gabde and we want to
show that this term does not cancel against any other term. For this we need to
consider the component of ga ∗ (gc ∗ ge ) − (ga ∗ gc ) ∗ ge in multidegree (0, 0, 0, 0).
As σ has no component in this multidegree, the summands having only one

STRUCTURE OF DGA STRUCTURES

17

σ cannot contribute. This it remains to consider the last two terms, namely
δσ(ga , δσ(gc , ge )) and δσ(δσ(ga , gc ), ge ).
By Claim 3 it holds that δσ(ga , δσ(gc , ge )) = ∂σ(ga , ∂σ(gc , ge )). Further,
σ(gc , ge ) has homological degree 3, hence it is of the form σ(gc , ge ) = λgbcd + r
where λ ∈ S and r is a sum of terms not involving c. Now it holds that
∂σ(gc , ge ) =λ∂gbcd + ∂r
=λxgcd + λwgbc + terms not involving c
Using Claim 6 it follows that
∂σ(ga , ∂σ(gc , ge )) = λx∂σ(ga , gcd ) + λw∂σ(ga , gbc ) = λ(λ1 x + λ2 w)∂gabde ,
for some λ1 , λ2 ∈ S. Here we used that gabde is the only generator in homological
degree 4. These terms cannot cancel against yz∂gabde , because they are multiples
of x or w, respectively. The same arguments apply to δσ(δσ(ga , gc ), ge ).

Remark 5.4. Unfortunately, it does not seem possible to use Avramov’s obstructions from [Avr81] to prove the preceding theorem. At least, I could not find a
suitable regular sequence f1 , . . . , fr in the ideal to consider R = S/(f1 , . . . , fs ).
6. The lcm lattice and non-sqarefree ideals
The lcm lattice LI of a monomial ideal is the lattice of all least common multiples of subsets of the minimal generators of I. The lcm lattice was introduced in
[GPW99], were it is also proven that its isomorphism type determines the minimal
free resolution of I. So one might be led to conjecture that it also determines the
possible multiplication on F. However, it is immediately clear from Theorem 2.1
that is not true. Nevertheless, we can identify a class of multiplications which is
compatible with the lcm lattice:
Definition 6.1. A multiplication ∗ on F is called supportive if for all a, b ∈ F
there exists a c ∈ F with deg c ≤ (deg a) ∨ (deg b), such that a ∗ b = mc for a
monomial m ∈ S.
Example 6.2. The DGA structure on the Taylor resolution is supportive, but
the multiplication constructed in Example 3.3 is not supportive.
For squarefree monomial ideals, being supportive is not a restriction.
Lemma 6.3. If I ⊆ S is a squarefree monomial ideal, then every multiplication
on its minimal free resolution is supportive.
Proof. Let F be the minimal free resolution of S/I and let B be an S-basis for it.
Every element of B has a squarefree degree, we may apply Lemma 1.4. It follows
that for any g1 , g2 ∈ B it holds that g1 ∗ g2 = mh for a monomial m and an
element h ∈ F with deg h ≤ (deg g1 + deg g2 ) ∧ (1, . . . , 1) = deg g1 ∨ deg g2 . 
The next result shows that supportive multiplications are essentially determined by the isomorphism type of the lcm-lattice of I. This is our main motivation for introducing this notion.
Proposition 6.4. Let I and I ′ be two monomial ideals in two polynomial rings
S and S ′ , respectively, whose lcm-lattices are isomorphic. Then every supportive
multiplication on the minimal free resolution of S/I can be relabeled to a supportive multiplication on the minimal free resolution of S ′ /I ′ .

18

LUKAS KATTHÄN

Proof. Let ν : LI → LI ′ be the isomorphism. We recall the “relabeling” construction, which was introduced in [GPW99]. Fix a basis B of the minimal free
resolution F of S/I. We express the differential ∂ of F in this basis:
∂g =

X

chg xdeg(g)−deg(h) h

h∈B

with g ∈ B, chg ∈ k. The relabeled resolution ν(F) is the free S ′ -module with
the basis {ḡ : g ∈ B} and deg ḡ = ν(deg g). Here, by ḡ we mean a new basis
element. The differential on ν(F) is given by
X h deg(ḡ)−deg(h̄)
¯ :=
∂ḡ
c x
h̄.
g

h∈B

This is well-defined because deg h ≤ deg g implies that deg h̄ = ν(deg h) ≤
ν(deg g) = deg ḡ. By [GPW99, Theorem 3.3], ν(F) is indeed a minimal free resolution of S ′ /I ′ . Our definition the relabeling of the multiplication is analogous:
If
X
g1 ∗ g2 =
chg1 ,g2 xdeg(g1 )+deg(g2 )−deg(h) h,
h∈B

then we set
ḡ1 ∗ ḡ2 :=

X

chg1 ,g2 xdeg(ḡ1 )+deg(ḡ2 )−deg(h̄) h̄.

h∈B

To see that this is well-defined, we compute that
deg ḡ1 + deg ḡ2 ≥ deg ḡ1 ∨ deg ḡ2 = ν(deg g1 ) ∨ ν(deg g2 )
(1)
(∗∗)
(∗)
= ν(deg g1 ∨ deg g2 ) ≥ ν(deg h) = deg h̄.
Here, the equality marked with (∗) holds because ν is an isomorphism of lattices. Moreover, the equality marked with (∗∗) holds because the multiplication
is supportive.
It is clear that the relabeled multiplication is graded-commutative and satisfies
the Leibniz rule, because the structure constants are the same as for the multiplication on F. Finally, the computation (1) also shows that it is supportive. 
The last two results have a number of immediate corollaries.
Corollary 6.5. Every monomial ideal admits a supportive multiplication on its
minimal free resolution.
Proof. Choose any multiplication on the minimal free resolution of the polarization of I and relabel it.

Corollary 6.6. Any supportive multiplication satisfies the conclusion of Proposition 3.4.
Proof. The conclusion of Proposition 3.4 is clearly invariant under relabeling.
Hence relabeling the supportive multiplication to the minimal free resolution of
the polarization of I yields the claim.

Corollary 6.7. Let I and I ′ be two monomial ideals with isomorphic lcm lattices
and assume that I is squarefree. If I admits a minimal DGA resolution, then so
does I ′ .
Proof. Associativity is invariant under relabeling.



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19

We close the section by giving an example which illustrates that the last
corollary cannot be strengthened by considering the Betti poset [CM14a; TV15;
CM14b]. Recall that the Betti poset of a monomial ideal is the subposet of the
lcm lattice consisting of those multidegrees in which are nonzero Betti numbers.
Example 6.8. The ideal hx2 , xy, y 2z 2 , zw, w 2i ⊂ k[x, y, z, w] from Theorem 5.1
does not admit a minimal DGA resolution. As argued in the proof of that theorem, its minimal free resolution is given by its algebraic Scarf complex, so in
particular its Betti poset is the face poset of its Scarf complex. However, that
Scarf complex is a cone (with apex b in the notation of that proof). Hence the
construction in the proof of the second implication of Theorem 4.1 yields an example of a squarefree monomial ideal admitting a minimal DGA resolution but
having the same Betti poset.
Acknowledgments
The author is indebted to Volkmar Welker for the suggestion to look for
a Macaulay-type theorem for DGA resolutions, which eventually led to Theorem 4.1.
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FB 12 – Institut für Mathematik, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Germany
E-mail address: katthaen@math.uni-frankfurt.de

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