We relate the analytic spread of a module expressed as the direct sum of two submodules with the analytic spread of its components. We also study a class of submodules whose integral closure can be expressed in terms of the integral closure of its row ideals, and therefore can be obtained by means of a simple computer algebra procedure. In particular, we analyze a class of modules, not necessarily of maximal rank, whose integral closure is determined by the family of Newton polyhedra of their row ideals.

We extend the notions of μ*-sequences and Tjurina numbers of functions to the framework of Bruce–Roberts numbers, that is, to pairs formed by the germ at 0 of a complex analytic variety X ⊆ ℂn and a finitely ${\mathcal R}(X)$-determined analytic function germ f : (ℂn, 0) → (ℂ, 0). We analyze some fundamental properties of these numbers.

We obtain a characterisation of the monomial ideals $I\subseteq \mathbb{C}[x_{1},\dots ,x_{n}]$ of finite colength that satisfy the condition $e(I)={\mathcal{L}}_{0}^{(1)}(I)\cdots {\mathcal{L}}_{0}^{(n)}(I)$, where ${\mathcal{L}}_{0}^{(1)}(I),\dots ,{\mathcal{L}}_{0}^{(n)}(I)$ is the sequence of mixed Łojasiewicz exponents of $I$ and $e(I)$ is the Samuel multiplicity of $I$. These are the monomial ideals whose integral closure admits a reduction generated by homogeneous polynomials.

In this paper we extract some conclusions about Newton non-degenerate ideals and the computation of Łojasiewicz exponents relative to this kind of ideal. This motivates us to study the Newton non-degeneracy condition on the Jacobian ideal of a given analytic function germ $f:(\mathbb{C}^n,0)\to(\mathbb{C},0)$. In particular, we establish a connection between Newton non-degenerate functions and functions whose Jacobian ideal is Newton non-degenerate.

AMS 2000 Mathematics subject classification: Primary 32S05. Secondary 57R45

The integral closure and the Buchsbaum-Rim multiplicity are computed of a wide class of submodules of $\mathcal O_n^p$ through suitable Newton polyhedra. The result thus obtained is an extension to submodules of $\O^p$ of the works of Yoshinaga and Saia on the characterization of Newton non-degenerate functions and ideals, respectively.

We investigate a generalization of the method introduced by Kouchnirenko to compute the codimension (colength) of an ideal under a certain non-degeneracy condition on a given system of generators of I. We also discuss Newton non-degenerate ideals and give characterizations using the notion of reductions and Newton polyhedra of ideals.