Morita Contexts, Idempotents, and Hochschild Cohomology - with Applications to Invariant Rings -

We investigate how to compare Hochschild cohomology of algebras related by a Morita context. Interpreting a Morita context as a ring with distinguished idempotent, the key ingredient for such a comparison is shown to be the grade of the Morita defect, the quotient of the ring modulo the ideal generated by the idempotent. Along the way, we show that the grade of the stable endomorphism ring as a module over the endomorphism ring controls vanishing of higher groups of selfextensions, and explain the relation to various forms of the Generalized Nakayama Conjecture for Noetherian algebras. As applications of our approach we explore to what extent Hochschild cohomology of an invariant ring coincides with the invariants of the Hochschild cohomology.Comment: 28 pages, uses conm-p-l.sty. To appear in Contemporary Mathematics series volume (Conference Proceedings for Summer 2001 Grenoble and Lyon conferences, edited by: L. Avramov, M. Chardin, M. Morales, and C. Polini

Linear free divisors and quiver representations

Linear free divisors are free divisors, in the sense of K.Saito, with linear presentation matrix (example: normal crossing divisors). Using techniques of deformation theory on representations of quivers, we exhibit families of linear free divisors as discriminants in representation spaces for real Schur roots of a finite quiver. We review some basic material on quiver representations, and explain in detail how to verify whether the discriminant is a free divisor and how to determine its components and their equations, using techniques of A. Schofield. As an illustration, the linear free divisors that arise as the discriminant from the highest roots of Dynkin quivers of type E7 and E8 are treated explicitly.Comment: 27 pages; to appear in Singularities and Computer Algebra, papers in honour of G.-M.Greuel's 60th birthda

Lifting free divisors

Let $\varphi:X\to S$ be a morphism between smooth complex analytic spaces, and let $f=0$ define a free divisor on $S$. We prove that if the deformation space $T^1_{X/S}$ of $\varphi$ is a Cohen-Macaulay $\mathcal{O}_X$-module of codimension 2, and all of the logarithmic vector fields for $f=0$ lift via $\varphi$, then $f\circ \varphi=0$ defines a free divisor on $X$; this is generalized in several directions. Among applications we recover a result of Mond-van Straten, generalize a construction of Buchweitz-Conca, and show that a map $\varphi:\mathbb{C}^{n+1}\to \mathbb{C}^n$ with critical set of codimension $2$ has a $T^1_{X/S}$ with the desired properties. Finally, if $X$ is a representation of a reductive complex algebraic group $G$ and $\varphi$ is the algebraic quotient $X\to S=X// G$ with $X// G$ smooth, we describe sufficient conditions for $T^1_{X/S}$ to be Cohen-Macaulay of codimension $2$. In one such case, a free divisor on $\mathbb{C}^{n+1}$ lifts under the operation of "castling" to a free divisor on $\mathbb{C}^{n(n+1)}$, partially generalizing work of Granger-Mond-Schulze on linear free divisors. We give several other examples of such representations.Comment: 30 pages. Many minor changes from v1 in response to a thorough review process. To appear in Proc. London Math. Soc. This version differs from the final published versio

New free divisors from old

We present several methods to construct or identify families of free divisors such as those annihilated by many Euler vector fields, including binomial free divisors, or divisors with triangular discriminant matrix. We show how to create families of quasihomogeneous free divisors through the chain rule or by extending them into the tangent bundle. We also discuss whether general divisors can be extended to free ones by adding components and show that adding a normal crossing divisor to a smooth one will not succeed

Hilbert-Kunz functions of cubic curves and surfaces

We determine the Hilbert-Kunz function of plane elliptic curves in odd characteristic, as well as over arbitrary fields the generalized Hilbert-Kunz functions of nodal cubic curves. Together with results of K. Pardue and P. Monsky, this completes the list of Hilbert-Kunz functions of plane cubics. Combining these results with the calculation of the (generalized) Hilbert-Kunz function of Cayley's cubic surface, it follows that in each degree and over any field of positive characteristic there are curves resp. surfaces taking on the minimally possible Hilbert-Kunz multiplicity.Comment: LaTex 2e with Xy-pic v3.2 for commutative diagram