English

Apolarity and direct sum decomposability of polynomials

Algebraic Geometry 2015-02-25 v4 Commutative Algebra

Abstract

A polynomial is a direct sum if it can be written as a sum of two non-zero polynomials in some distinct sets of variables, up to a linear change of variables. We analyze criteria for a homogeneous polynomial to be decomposable as a direct sum, in terms of the apolar ideal of the polynomial. We prove that the apolar ideal of a polynomial of degree dd strictly depending on all variables has a minimal generator of degree dd if and only if it is a limit of direct sums.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1307.3314,
  title  = {Apolarity and direct sum decomposability of polynomials},
  author = {Weronika Buczyńska and Jarosław Buczyński and Johannes Kleppe and Zach Teitler},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1307.3314},
  year   = {2015}
}

Comments

35 pages. v2: added remarks generalizing results to arbitrary characteristic. v3: extensive rewrite, several generalizations in last section, numerous clarifications throughout. v4: another extensive rewrite with improved notation and terminology, clarifications and corrections throughout, to incorporate suggestions of referee

R2 v1 2026-06-22T00:50:11.279Z