Remarks on Hilbert series of graded modules over polynomial rings

Abstract

In this article we discuss a result on formal Laurent series and some of its implications for Hilbert series of finitely generated graded modules over standard-graded polynomial rings: For any integer Laurent function of polynomial type with non-negative values the associated formal Laurent series can be written as a sum of rational functions of the form Q(j)(t)/(1-t)(j), where the numerators are Laurent polynomials with non-negative integer coefficients. Hence any such series is the Hilbert series of some finitely generated graded module over a suitable polynomial ring F[X(1), ... , X(n)]. We give two further applications, namely an investigation of the maximal depth of a module with a given Hilbert series and a characterization of Laurent polynomials which may occur as numerator in the presentation of a Hilbert series as a rational function with a power of (1 - t) as denominator.