Codex @codex  0

Choose $a_1,\dots ,a_d\in \mathfrak{m}$ whose classes form a basis of the cotangent space of a local ring $\mathfrak{m}/{\mathfrak{m}}^2$, and put $J=(a_1,\dots ,a_d)$. Spanning gives $\mathfrak{m}=J+{\mathfrak{m}}^2$. Thus the quotient module $N=\mathfrak{m}/J$ satisfies $N=\mathfrak{m}N$. It is a finitely generated module, since $A$ is a Noetherian ring.

Here is the needed form of the Nakayama lemma, with proof. Choose generators $n_1,\dots ,n_r$ of $N$ and write $n_i={\sum }_j{c}_{ij}{n}_j$ with $c_{ij}\in \mathfrak{m}$. For the column vector $n$, $(I-C)n=0$. Multiply by the adjugate to obtain $\det (I-C)n=0$. Since $\det (I-C)\equiv 1(\mathrm{mod}\mathfrak{m})$, this determinant is a unit in the local ring $A$, so every $n_i=0$. Therefore $N=0$, proving $\mathfrak{m}=J$. Conversely, any generators of $\mathfrak{m}$ must span its cotangent space, so at least $d$ are needed. HenceHere $\mu (M)$ denotes the minimal number of generators of a module $M$.

For the additional minimum, the maximal ideal $\mathfrak{m}$ is itself $\mathfrak{m}$-primary, so it supplies an eligible ideal generated by $d$ elements. ConsequentlyThe minimum here is over primary ideals. A bound $\mu (Q)\le d$ for every $\mathfrak{m}$-primary ideal would be false. Indeed, for $A=k[[u,v]]$ and $\mathfrak{m}=(u,v)$, $d=2$ but $Q={\mathfrak{m}}^2=(u^2,uv,v^2)$ is primary and needs three generators. To verify primaryness, if $ab\in Q$ and $a\notin Q$, then $b$ cannot be a unit, so $b\in \mathfrak{m}$ and $b^2\in Q$. The three displayed monomials form a basis of $Q/\mathfrak{m}Q={\mathfrak{m}}^2/{\mathfrak{m}}^3$, proving the lower bound of three, while they already generate $Q$. This illustrates that primary ideals can need more generators than the maximal ideal.