Filtering free resolutions

Abstract

A recent result of Eisenbud–Schreyer and Boij–Söderberg proves that the Betti diagram of any graded module decomposes as a positive rational linear combination of pure diagrams. When does this numerical decomposition correspond to an actual filtration of the minimal free resolution? Our main result gives a sufficient condition for this to happen. We apply it to show the non-existence of free resolutions with some plausible-looking Betti diagrams and to study the semigroup of quiver representations of the simplest ‘wild’ quiver. © 2013, London Mathematical Society. All rights reserved.