Ascending filtration 2026-10-14
An ascending filtration is an increasing chain of additive subgroups, or vector subspaces when a scalar field is fixed. It is exhaustive if their union is the whole object. For a filtered ring, multiplicative compatibility means . For an ideal , intersecting each level with gives the induced filtration. Its associated graded module has components .
Lift finite homogeneous generators of the associated graded module of a right ideal to of degrees . Successive leading-symbol cancellations write an element as finite partial sums with residual in . The coefficient increments lie in and therefore converge in the complete negative filtration. Multiplication is continuous, so their limits express as a finite sum . This generates the actual right ideal and does not presuppose that it is closed. The left-sided statement is analogous.
The stable page identifies the associated graded module of a filtration of the abutment. For a finite filtration this is an exhaustive, separated finite extension description. It does not itself determine a canonical splitting. Unbounded filtrations require further convergence hypotheses.
For a nonzero finitely generated module over a complex Weyl algebra, choose a good filtration for the order filtration and take the Krull dimension of its support of a module over . This is the dimension of its order characteristic variety of a Weyl algebra module. One may set .
For independence from the good module filtration, any two such filtrations of a module are bounded shifts of one another, by their finite shifted-generating descriptions. If a homogeneous symbol of degree annihilates one associated graded module, then and its -th power lowers the expected degree by . For shift bound and , comparison shows that annihilates the other associated graded module. Reverse the roles to obtain equality of the radicals of ideals of their annihilators, hence equality of their support of a module and Krull dimension. This argument holds the algebra filtration fixed.
Give the subspace filtration and the quotient filtration. If the degree- class of maps to zero, then with and . Thus and the class comes from . Inclusion is injective in every degree and the quotient map is surjective, proving the displayed short exact sequence of associated graded modules. Exactness can fail for arbitrarily chosen incompatible filtrations.
For the order filtration of a Weyl algebra, a filtration of a module is good if it is increasing, exhaustive, zero in sufficiently negative degrees, compatible with multiplication, and has associated graded module finite over the associated graded ring. Equivalently it has the displayed finite shifted-generating description. Choose homogeneous generators of the associated graded module, lift them to , and successively remove the top symbol of any element; the lower bound on the filtration of a module makes this process terminate. Conversely, the displayed description makes the symbols of the generate. Each is finite over the degree-zero polynomial ring ; it need not be a finite-dimensional vector space over .
Good filtration of a module Created 2026-10-05 Updated 2026-10-14
For a filtered algebra with finite-dimensional filtration pieces, a good filtration of a module on a finitely generated module is compatible with multiplication and has finitely generated associated graded module over the associated graded ring. Taking bounded-degree translates of a finite set of module generators supplies such a filtration of a module when the associated graded ring is Noetherian.
The algebraic set defined by the annihilator of a module of the associated graded module for a good filtration for the order filtration is the order characteristic variety. It lies in affine space with coordinates and is invariant under scaling the . Its dimension is the dimension of a Weyl algebra module for the order filtration. The order filtration of a Weyl algebra assigns degrees zero to the and one to the ; a characteristic variety formed with the Bernstein filtration need not be the same algebraic set.
Work over , or another field of characteristic zero. The Weyl algebra is generated by with commuting 's, commuting 's and . Its ordered monomial basis of a Weyl algebra consists of the monomials . One way to verify independence is to apply a finite operator relation to the formal exponential : after canceling that exponential the relation becomes a polynomial identity , so every coefficient vanishes. The relations already reorder every word into that basis.
Give both generators degree one. The Bernstein filtration is
Thus . Commutator terms have lower degree, accounting for the commutative symbol algebra. Since that algebra is Noetherian, leading-symbol generation followed by finite downward degree cancellation proves that is Noetherian on both sides.
A left finitely generated module has a good filtration, for example for a finite generating set of the module. More generally one allows fixed degree shifts of the generators. The associated graded module is finite over the symbol algebra. Define
This is the characteristic variety of a Weyl algebra module for the Bernstein algebra filtration. It records where the module's leading symbols remain nonzero and makes noncommutative module growth accessible to commutative algebra.
For a fixed algebra filtration it is independent of the good filtration. Any two such filtrations differ by bounded shifts and conversely, since each finite set of generators occurs in bounded degree in the other filtration. If a degree- operator has symbol annihilating , its th power maps into . For , bounded-shift comparison forces the power of that symbol to annihilate . Reversing the argument gives equal radicals of ideals of annihilators. This is independence of characteristic support from a good module filtration. Changing the algebra filtration itself, for example to the order filtration of a Weyl algebra with the in degree zero, need not preserve the same variety; the convention matters.
The Hilbert-Serre theorem gives an eventual cumulative polynomial
Here is also the Gelfand–Kirillov dimension of a module, and is an integer multiplicity of a filtered module for nonzero . Finite generation bounds .
Here is a proof sketch of the essential lower bound, rather than an appeal to its name. For a nonzero , choose a nonzero monomial of greatest total degree in its ordered expansion, say . The operations and differentiate this expansion with respect to and . Apply them and times. Lower-degree terms die, and every other monomial of the same degree also dies unless it has exactly those exponents. The result is a nonzero scalar multiple of the chosen coefficient. Characteristic zero is essential for the factorials. Expanding the repeated commutators therefore gives
Choose . If acted as zero on all , every would vanish, contrary to . Hence the linear action map
is injective. It follows that . Comparing polynomial degrees gives . Thus
This proves Bernstein inequality for Weyl algebra modules through the faithful finite-step action of a Weyl algebra.
The bound is sharp. The polynomial representation has the zero section as its characteristic variety of a Weyl algebra module, namely and dimension . It is a simple module: differentiate a nonzero polynomial sufficiently to obtain a nonzero constant, then multiply by the to generate the whole module. The module similarly has characteristic variety of a Weyl algebra module , a fiber of the cotangent bundle. A nonzero free module has the whole cotangent bundle and dimension . No nonzero finite-dimensional module exists for , also seen by taking the trace of .
Modules attaining dimension are holonomic Weyl algebra modules (with the zero module included conventionally). Every nonzero subquotient remains of dimension by the lower bound and monotonicity of growth. Compatible filtrations in a short exact sequence make the leading multiplicity of a filtered module additive. Since each nonzero factor has positive integer multiplicity of a filtered module, the number of factors in any strict submodule chain is bounded by . Together with Noetherianity, this proves finite composition length. It illustrates why characteristic variety of a Weyl algebra module and multiplicity of a filtered module provide useful structure beyond a list of presentations. In positive characteristic there are finite-dimensional Weyl modules, so the characteristic-zero inequality and this discussion must not be asserted without its field hypothesis.
Choose a basis of the Lie algebra and filter its universal enveloping algebra by word length: and is spanned by products of at most basis elements. The relations replace a degree-two commutator by degree one, so the degree-one symbols commute.
The Poincaré-Birkhoff-Witt theorem says the ordered monomials are a basis. Its relevant proof can be seen by reordering an inverted neighboring pair using the displayed relation. Reordering terminates because same-length terms have fewer inversions and bracket terms have smaller word length. Disjoint swaps commute; the only overlapping three-letter reorderings differ by . The Jacobi identity therefore makes the reduced ordered expression independent of the reordering path. Ordered monomials have no remaining relations and form the basis. Their degree- symbols give
For generators of the finitely generated module , put . This is a good filtration, and is finite over the three-variable polynomial ring. Define the dimension of a filtered module as the Krull dimension of its associated graded module, equivalently the degree of the eventual cumulative polynomial , or the Gelfand–Kirillov dimension of a module. Two good filtrations have bounded shifts, so the growth degree is independent of the generators. Since
its polynomial degree is at most three. Therefore every nonzero finitely generated -module has dimension at most . The zero module may be assigned the usual separate empty-support convention. This bound also follows immediately from its support of a module inside affine three-space.
A precise version of the Hilbert-Serre theorem is as follows. Let be a commutative graded ring, generated over an Artinian degree-zero ring by homogeneous elements of positive degrees . Let be a finitely generated graded module, bounded below. Each component has finite module length over . Its Poincare series of a graded module, or Hilbert series, is
When is a field, these lengths are dimensions. The theorem asserts
For a nonnegatively graded module the numerator can be taken in . The finite-generation and finite-length hypotheses specify the meaning of the series; they are part of the theorem's statement.
We prove it by induction on . Regard as a finite graded module over , with , acting through the specified generators of . This polynomial ring is Noetherian by the Hilbert basis theorem and Question 1. When , finitely many homogeneous generators over mean that only finitely many components are nonzero, so the series is a Laurent polynomial. For the induction step, put , , and . Both and are finite graded modules; annihilates them, so they are modules over . The finite generation of uses Noetherianity of .
The exact sequence of graded modules
gives, by additivity of component lengths,
Here the shift is defined so that . By induction both series on the right have denominator . Dividing by proves the result. The annihilator term cannot be omitted unless multiplication by is injective.
In the standard grading , the coefficients of are . Multiplying by the finite numerator shows that the component dimensions agree with a polynomial for sufficiently large . Cumulative dimensions have generating function and are also eventually polynomial. This consequence supplies the dimension used for Weyl algebra modules.
Use the Bernstein filtration , in which both coordinate generators and differentiation generators have degree one. The ordered monomial basis of a Weyl algebra gives
Choose a finite-dimensional generating subspace of a nonzero finitely generated left module and set . This is a good filtration of a module: the symbols of the generators generate its associated graded module over the displayed polynomial ring. The Hilbert-Serre theorem makes an eventual polynomial. Define the Bernstein growth dimension of a Weyl algebra module by
The dimension is independent of the chosen finite generating subspace. Each of two finite generating sets is contained in a fixed filtration step for the other, giving and . Such fixed shifts preserve the degree of growth. The same argument applies to any good Bernstein filtration. This dimension agrees with the Gelfand–Kirillov dimension of a module; one may set .
Let the nonconstant element have Bernstein degree . Since is a domain, the product of two nonzero symbols cannot vanish. Hence
Right multiplication by is injective, using the domain property of . Thus the quotient filtration on has cumulative dimensions
The leading terms of degree cancel, and the leading surviving term is
It is nonzero, because . Therefore
Equivalently the Hilbert series of the associated graded quotient is . Here is Bernstein degree, not differential order: multiplication by has differential order zero but Bernstein degree one. Using the order filtration in this dimension argument would lose the finite-dimensional filtration pieces.
For , the Weyl algebra is generated by with and the other generator commutators zero. Iterating the differential Ore extension construction gives the ordered basis . In the Bernstein filtration, both kinds of generator have degree one, and
Leading symbols show that is a noncommutative domain. The Hilbert basis theorem and homogeneous-generator lifting by decreasing degree make it both left and right Noetherian.
It is also a simple ring. In a nonzero two-sided ideal, choose a nonzero element and a monomial of maximal total degree with nonzero coefficient . Applying eliminates every lower-degree term and every different term of that maximal degree. The result is the nonzero scalar . Thus the ideal contains . Here the scalar extraction by iterated Weyl commutators uses characteristic zero. Despite simplicity, has no nonzero finite-dimensional modules: in such a representation would have trace , impossible over . Its interesting module theory is necessarily infinite-dimensional.
For a finitely generated left module , choose a finite-dimensional generating subspace and set . This is a good filtration of a module. Its associated graded module is finite over the graded polynomial ring, so its cumulative Hilbert function is eventually a polynomial,
with positive integer multiplicity . These are the Bernstein growth dimension of a Weyl algebra module and its multiplicity of a filtered module. Two good filtrations bound each other after fixed shifts: lift finite homogeneous generators in one filtration, bound their degrees in the other, and use compatibility with ; then reverse the roles. The growth degree and leading coefficient therefore do not depend on the good filtration of a module. The degree is also the Gelfand–Kirillov dimension of a module and the dimension of the characteristic variety of a Weyl algebra module, the support of . Since is a quotient of a finite sum of copies of , .
The essential lower bound is the Bernstein inequality for Weyl algebra modules:
Here is a full proof. Multiplication gives a linear map . Prove it injective by induction on . At a scalar killing must vanish. If kills , then for every generator , its commutator kills : both and are zero for . Induction gives for all generators. In the ordered basis, differentiates the exponents and differentiates the exponents with a minus sign. Vanishing of all these commutators in characteristic zero forces to be a scalar. It then vanishes because it kills . This proves the faithful finite-step action of a Weyl algebra and hence
Comparison of degrees gives , proving the inequality. Equally, without invoking eventual polynomiality, this estimate directly bounds the Gelfand–Kirillov dimension of a module below by . Right modules satisfy the same inequality through the filtration-preserving isomorphism , , .
A nonzero finitely generated module with is a holonomic Weyl algebra module; the zero module is conventionally included. This minimal-growth class is stable under submodules, quotient modules and extensions. For , take the induced and quotient filtrations. Their graded sequence is exact; Noetherianity of makes the induced filtrations good. Thus the Hilbert functions add and
if both nonzero terms have the top dimension, their multiplicities add. For a holonomic Weyl algebra module, every nonzero subquotient has dimension , by the upper bound inherited from and Bernstein's lower bound. Each nonzero factor in a strict chain therefore consumes positive integral multiplicity. This proves the multiplicity bounds the length of a holonomic Weyl module:
In particular a holonomic module is both Noetherian and Artinian and has finite length, although its vector-space dimension is infinite. This distinction separates finite-dimensional representation theory from finite-length Weyl module theory.
The polynomial module , with acting by multiplication and by differentiation, is generated by . Its consists of polynomials of degree at most , with dimension , so and . It is simple: differentiating a maximal-degree monomial of a nonzero polynomial isolates a nonzero constant, and multiplication by polynomials then generates the whole module. A second basic example is the delta module
Using the reverse ordered basis , its vector space is ; acts by multiplication and by negative differentiation. The same argument proves simplicity and holonomicity. These two examples are exchanged by the automorphism , . Free modules, in contrast, have growth dimension and are not holonomic. Thus the central organizing invariants are good filtration of a module, growth dimension, characteristic support and multiplicity, with Bernstein's estimate explaining why dimension is the natural smallest nonzero size.
A filtration of a ring is an exhaustive increasing family of additive subgroups , indexed by the integers, with and . A compatible filtration of a module on a right module satisfies . The associated graded module has components , and its action by the associated graded ring is
Changing either representative changes the product only by an element of , so the action is well-defined.
The subspace filtration on is . The quotient filtration is . Inclusion induces an injective map , and the quotient induces a surjective map to . If maps to zero in its degree- quotient, write with and . Then , so the kernel is exactly the image of . We have the short exact sequence
which is exactness of associated graded modules for induced filtrations.
For the negative case, for . Completeness means that is an isomorphism; in particular the filtration of a ring is separated. If and , then . The geometric series
converges in the complete negative filtration and is a two-sided inverse of , by the finite geometric identity and continuity of multiplication. The unit criterion for the Jacobson radical now gives
Let be any right ideal. The associated graded module for its subspace filtration is a homogeneous ideal on the right in . If is a right Noetherian ring, choose homogeneous generators that lift to , with degrees .
For , cancel its degree- symbol by a sum with . The remainder belongs to . Repeat the cancellation in each succeeding degree. After steps,
For every , the coefficient series converges to some by completeness. Passing to the limit gives . Thus these finitely many generate the actual right ideal ; no assumption that is closed is needed. Since every right ideal is finitely generated, is right Noetherian, by complete negative filtered-graded transfer of Noetherianity.
An almost commutative algebra over has an exhaustive nonnegative increasing multiplicative ascending filtration
for which the associated graded ring
is a commutative finitely generated complex algebra. This includes the customary degree filtration with , finitely many degree-one generators, and commutators lowering degree. The finite-generation clause is part of the convention used here and is necessary for the conclusion.
A finitely generated commutative complex algebra is a quotient of a polynomial ring . Repeated application of the central-variable case of the Hilbert basis theorem makes that polynomial ring Noetherian; quotients preserve the ascending chain condition by lifting ideal chains. Thus is Noetherian.
We prove ascending filtered-graded transfer of Noetherianity directly. Give a left ideal the induced ascending filtration . Its associated graded module embeds into as a homogeneous ideal, denoted . Choose finitely many homogeneous generators of this ideal, of degrees , and lifts . Homogeneous generators may be chosen by taking homogeneous components of any finite generating set.
For , its degree- symbol can be expressed as
with terms of negative coefficient degree omitted. Lift each coefficient to . Then
Induction on , ending at , expresses in the left ideal generated by the . Hence every left ideal is finitely generated. Applying the same argument to right ideals, or to the opposite ring, proves
This degree-lowering proof terminates in finitely many steps and requires no completeness assumption on the filtered ring. Without finite generation of the graded algebra, a counterexample would be the commutative polynomial ring in infinitely many variables, whose ideals do not stabilize.
For the universal enveloping algebra , use the degree ascending filtration inherited from the tensor algebra of the finite-dimensional Lie algebra . For , the defining relation is , whereas the product has filtration degree at most . Thus the degree-one symbols commute in . Those symbols generate the graded algebra, so it is a quotient of
This already proves the required almost-commutative property. The Poincaré-Birkhoff-Witt theorem gives the stronger identification , but injectivity of this map is not needed for the chain-condition argument. Therefore
For , write for multiplication by in . The algebraic differential operator ring is defined by the filtration
The order of an algebraic differential operator is the least for which ; the zero operator may be assigned order . In degree zero, commuting with all multiplication maps means , so . The commutator identity proves by induction that , so the union is a ring under addition and composition.
The derivations of an algebra form
Every such derivation has and , so has differential order at most one. Conversely, if , set and . Then and is a multiplication map. Evaluating at shows it is ; evaluating at gives the Leibniz rule. Hence the first-order algebraic differential operator decomposition is
It is a direct sum as -vector spaces: a multiplication map that is a derivation vanishes at , and is zero.
The complex Weyl algebra has generators and relations
Take . If a nonzero unital module had finite dimension of a vector space over , its representing matrices would satisfy . Taking the matrix trace gives , impossible in characteristic zero. The Weyl algebra has no nonzero finite-dimensional modules. For the algebra is and this assertion has the obvious exception.
For a nonzero finitely generated Weyl algebra module, use the Bernstein filtration
The ordered monomials form a vector space basis, so
To justify the ordered basis, the relations move all to the right and give spanning. Independence follows in the action on : apply a putative zero operator coefficientwise to the formal exponential , obtaining . Thus every coefficient vanishes.
Choose a finite-dimensional nonzero generating subspace and set . The associated graded module is finitely generated over the polynomial associated graded ring, so the Hilbert-Serre theorem implies is eventually a polynomial. Define
This Bernstein growth dimension of a Weyl algebra module equals the Gelfand–Kirillov dimension of a module, not its ordinary vector-space dimension. If a different finite generating subspace is used, each lies in some fixed filtration step of the other. The corresponding are sandwiched between shifted filtrations, so the degree is unchanged.
We prove Bernstein inequality for Weyl algebra modules using an injectivity estimate. The faithful finite-step action of a Weyl algebra claim is that the map
is injective for every . Induct on . For , a scalar annihilating is zero. Suppose annihilates . For any generator or , the commutator belongs to and annihilates : both and vanish. The induction hypothesis gives for every generator. In the ordered basis,
In characteristic zero these identities force to be a scalar. Since it annihilates , it is zero. This proves injectivity.
Consequently
The left side grows as a positive constant times ; the right side has growth degree . Comparing powers proves
The polynomial module , with the usual multiplication and differentiation actions, has , showing the bound is sharp.
For a cohomological spectral sequence, and the next page is its cohomology. In the bounded setting, convergence of a spectral sequence to means that each has a finite decreasing, exhaustive and separated filtration with
Here is the eventual stable value. This determines the associated graded module of , rather than automatically a canonical direct-sum decomposition of . For unbounded filtrations additional completeness/convergence conditions are necessary; boundedness removes those issues here.
The bounded filtered-complex convergence theorem states the following. If is a decreasing filtration by cochain subcomplexes, preserved by the differential, finite in each cochain degree (uniform bounds , are sufficient), then there is a spectral sequence
The abutment filtration is . Its finite length ensures stabilization and the displayed limiting-page identification. The filtered cochain complex need not itself be bounded in cochain degree. In the degreewise finite version, the bounds in degrees suffice to stabilize the terms of total degree .
For a double cochain complex bounded in both indices, form the total cochain complex with anticommuting differentials and total differential . If the original differentials commute, inserting the usual sign in one of them gives this convention. Filtering by the first index gives and then . Filtering by the second index gives the spectral sequence taking horizontal cohomology first and vertical cohomology next. Both filtrations are finite, so both converge to . This is the two spectral sequences of a bounded double complex construction.
The printed left/left tensor expression needs a handedness repair. Over an arbitrary ring, a tensor product of modules over pairs a right module with a left module. To retain the order of the printed formula, take to be a bounded cochain complex of projective right -modules and a left -module. Alternatively, keep left, take right, and write and . For a commutative ring no repair is needed. We prove the first, correctly typed formulation.
Finite projective dimension gives a finite projective resolution by left modules. Form for . On take and . These anticommute, and the double cochain complex is bounded in both directions. Projective modules are flat modules, so taking vertical cohomology first gives
The first identification uses flatness of ; the second is the Tor functor computed by resolving its left-module argument . Balancedness of the Tor functor allows either correctly sided projective resolution to compute it, by the double-resolution argument.
Taking horizontal cohomology first instead uses flatness of . The resolution then leaves only in column . Its remaining differential is , so the augmentation is a quasi-isomorphism. Apply the convergence theorem to this underlying abelian-group double complex. The two spectral sequences therefore prove the Künneth spectral sequence:
These are abelian groups in general; an extra module structure requires appropriate bimodule hypotheses. The index is nonpositive, so is the nonnegative homological index of the Tor functor.
Finally write the cycle modules as and the boundary modules as . If every boundary module is projective, the short exact sequence splits. Thus is projective. The short exact sequence is now a length-one projective resolution, so for . The page occupies only columns . Every for goes columns to the right, hence has zero source or zero target. Therefore
This two-column degeneration of a Künneth spectral sequence gives the edge short exact sequences
Degeneration itself does not supply a canonical splitting. Projective boundaries also do not force to be projective: a complex with differential multiplication by over has projective boundary but a cohomology group.
Choose a finite-dimensional generating vector subspace containing , and write for the linear span of products of elements of . The Gelfand–Kirillov dimension is
For a nonzero finitely generated module considered as a right module, choose a finite-dimensional generating vector subspace and define the Gelfand–Kirillov dimension of a module by
For left modules, replace by . These values are independent of the choices: two algebra-generating vector subspaces satisfy and for some positive integers , and two module-generating vector subspaces are contained in bounded-degree translates of one another. The corresponding growth bounds differ only by a constant rescaling and shift of , which do not change the limit superior.
Let be a nonzero standard graded algebra, generated by elements of degree one. It is a homogeneous quotient ring of the polynomial ring . By the Hilbert-Serre theorem, its Hilbert series is a rational function whose only possible pole is at . After canceling, write it as with , where . The cumulative dimensions are the coefficients of and are eventually a polynomial in of degree , with positive leading coefficient. With , these cumulative dimensions equal . Consequently
For the algebra is finite-dimensional and nonzero, so the cumulative dimension is eventually a positive constant. If the zero algebra is allowed, the common convention is an exception to the printed assertion; the integer conclusion concerns nonzero unital algebras.
For the Weyl algebra , the total-degree filtered algebra structure has associated graded ring . Its ordered monomials form a basis. Every finitely generated module has a good filtration of a module, and its associated graded module is finitely generated over . The Hilbert-Serre theorem therefore shows that its Gelfand–Kirillov dimension is an integer in .
A nonzero module of Gelfand–Kirillov dimension zero here would have eventually constant cumulative dimension, hence be finite-dimensional. This is impossible in characteristic zero: taking the trace of the endomorphisms representing gives . For right modules the right-action operators reverse composition and give the negative identity instead, with the same contradiction. Thus
Both occur. The regular module has , hence Gelfand–Kirillov dimension two. For a right module of Gelfand–Kirillov dimension one, take with and . These actions satisfy the defining relation because . The module is a cyclic module generated by , and . This also gives the lower bound for this particular Weyl algebra without invoking a general inequality for higher Weyl algebras.
Use the Weyl algebra convention , with , where the brackets are commutators. Its order filtration of a Weyl algebra is
Thus has degree zero and degree one. By the ordered monomial basis of a Weyl algebra, the associated graded ring is
where is the symbol of .
The Rees ring of a filtered algebra is the graded ring
where is a central indeterminate. Here it is generated by , , and , with degrees , respectively, and relations
It interpolates between the associated graded ring and the original filtered ring:
A good filtration for the order filtration on is an increasing exhaustive family of complex vector subspaces , zero for sufficiently negative , with , such that the associated graded module
is a finitely generated module over . Equivalently, there are finitely many and integer shifts such that . In particular, choose any finite generating family of and put
This is a good filtration for the order filtration.
For , its dimension of a Weyl algebra module for the order filtration is
Here support of a module, annihilator of a module, and Krull dimension are taken over the commutative polynomial ring . The corresponding algebraic set is the order characteristic variety of a Weyl algebra module. This dimension is independent of the chosen good filtration for the order filtration; one may set .
The pieces generally have infinite complex dimension, since they contain all polynomials in the . Thus a polynomial-growth definition based directly on would be inappropriate for this order filtration of a Weyl algebra.
Use the quotient filtration induced from the order filtration of a Weyl algebra. The key step is to identify the entire associated graded module of the left ideal , rather than merely take symbols of its displayed generators.
For every member of the ordered monomial basis of a Weyl algebra, right multiplication by the pure -monomials gives
No commuting past an is necessary. It follows that is exactly the complex linear span of the basis monomials satisfying either
Intersecting this linear span with each filtration piece and then taking symbols therefore yields the monomial ideal
By b,
To determine its Krull dimension, compute the radical of an ideal:
Indeed, lies in the displayed intersection, an intersection of prime ideals. Conversely, and , so both generators of that intersection lie in . The equality of the intersection with follows by factoring out and reducing modulo .
The order characteristic variety of a Weyl algebra module in this case has two irreducible components:
They are coordinate affine spaces of dimensions and , respectively, in the coordinates . The Krull dimension is the larger of these component dimensions. Thus
In particular, two displayed generators do not force a drop of two in dimension: their common factor creates the component of dimension .