MAX MIN Vertex Cover and the Size of Betti Tables

Abstract

Let G be a finite simple graph on n vertices, that contains no isolated vertices, and let \(I(G) \subseteq S = K[x_1, \dots , x_n]\) be its edge ideal. In this paper, we study the pair of integers that measure the projective dimension and the regularity of S/I(G). We show that if \({{\,\mathrm{pd}\,}}(S/I(G))\) attains its minimum possible value \(2\sqrt{n}-2\) then, with only one exception, \({{\,\mathrm{reg}\,}}(S/I(G)) = 1\). We also provide a full description of the spectrum of \({{\,\mathrm{pd}\,}}(S/I(G))\) when \({{\,\mathrm{reg}\,}}(S/I(G))\) attains its minimum possible value 1.