On $n$-Dimensional Sequences. I

Let $R$ be a commutative ring and let $n \geq 1.$ We study $\Gamma(s)$, the generating function and Ann$(s)$, the ideal of characteristic polynomials of $s$, an $n$--dimensional sequence over $R$. We express $f(X_1,\ldots,X_n) \cdot \Gamma(s)(X_1^{-1},\ldots ,X_n^{-1})$ as a partitioned sum. That is, we give (i) a $2^n$--fold ``border'' partition (ii) an explicit expression for the product as a $2^n$--fold sum; the support of each summand is contained in precisely one member of the partition. A key summand is $\beta_0(f,s)$, the ``border polynomial'' of $f$ and $s$, which is divisible by $X_1\cdots X_n$. We say that $s$ is {\em eventually rectilinear} if the elimination ideals Ann$(s)\cap R[X_i]$ contain an $f_i(X_i)$ for $1 \leq i \leq n$. In this case, we show that $\mbox{Ann}(s)$ is the ideal quotient $(\sum_{i=1}^n(f_i)\ :\ \beta_0(f,s)/(X_1\cdots X_n)).$ When $R$ and $R[[X_1,X_2, \ldots ,X_n]]$ are factorial domains (e.g. $R$ a principal ideal domain or ${\Bbb F}[X_1,\ldots,X_n]$), we compute {\em the monic generator} $\gamma _i$ of $\mbox{Ann}(s) \cap R[X_i]$ from known $f_i \in \mbox{Ann}(s) \cap R[X_i]$ or from a finite number of $1$--dimensional linear recurring sequences over $R$. Over a field ${\Bbb F}$ this gives an $O(\prod_{i=1}^n \delta \gamma _i^3)$ algorithm to compute an ${\Bbb F}$--basis for $\mbox{Ann}(s)$.