This work concerns the linearity defect of a module $M$ over a Noetherian local ring $R$, introduced by Herzog and Iyengar in 2005, and denoted $\text{ld}_{R}M$. Roughly speaking, $\text{ld}_{R}M$ is the homological degree beyond which the minimal free resolution of $M$ is linear. It is proved that for any ideal $I$ in a regular local ring $R$ and for any finitely generated $R$-module $M$, each of the sequences $(\text{ld}_{R}(I^{n}M))_{n}$ and $(\text{ld}_{R}(M/I^{n}M))_{n}$ is eventually constant. The first statement follows from a more general result about the eventual constancy of the sequence $(\text{ld}_{R}C_{n})_{n}$ where $C$ is a finitely generated graded module over a standard graded algebra over $R$.

Given a local ring containing a field, we define and investigate a family of invariants that includes the Lyubeznik numbers but captures finer information. These generalized Lyubeznik numbers are defined in terms of D-modules and are proved well defined using a generalization of the classical version of Kashiwara’s equivalence for smooth varieties; we also give a definition for finitely generated K-algebras. These new invariants are indicators of F-singularities in characteristic p > 0 and have close connections with characteristic cycle multiplicities in characteristic zero. We characterize the generalized Lyubeznik numbers associated to monomial ideals and compute examples of those associated to determinantal ideals.

The class of $\mathfrak{m}$-full and four related classes of ideals in a local ring (R, $\mathfrak{m}$) are extended by replacing $\mathfrak{m}$ with other ideals and the resulting classes of ideals are compared. It is shown that contracted ideals are $\mathfrak{m}$-full in a local ring with infinite residue field.

Let $A$ be a $d$-dimensional local ring containing a field. We will prove that the highest Lyubeznik number $\lambda_{d,d}(A)$ is equal to the number of connected components of the Hochster–Huneke graph associated to $B$, where $B=\widehat{\hat{A}^{\rm sh}}$ is the completion of the strict Henselization of the completion of $A$. This was proven by Lyubeznik in characteristic $p>0$. Our statement and proof are characteristic-free.

Let R be a commutative ring with identity, and let A be a finitely generated R-algebra with Jacobson radical N and center C. An R-inertial subalgebra of A is a R-separable subalgebra B with the property that B+N=A. Suppose A is separable over C and possesses a finite group G of R-automorphisms whose restriction to C is faithful with fixed ring R. If R is an inertial subalgebra of C, necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of an R-inertial subalgebra of A are found when the order of G is a unit in R. Under these conditions, an R-inertial subalgebra B of A is characterized as being the fixed subring of a group of R-automorphisms of A. Moreover, A ⋍ B ⊗R C. Analogous results are obtained when C has an R-inertial subalgebra S ⊃ R.