A Note on the Buchsbaum-Rim multiplicity of a parameter module

Abstract

In this article we prove that the Buchsbaum-Rim multiplicity $e(F/N)$ of a parameter module $N$ in a free module $F=A^r$ is bounded above by the colength ${\ell }_A(F/N)$. Moreover, we prove that once the equality ${\ell }_A(F/N)=e(F/N)$ holds true for some parameter module $N$ in $F$, then the base ring $A$ is Cohen-Macaulay.

9 pages, to appear in Proceedings of the AMS