Minimal Gröbner bases and the predictable leading monomial property

Abstract: We focus on Gr\"obner bases for modules of univariate polynomial vectors over a ring. We identify a useful property, the "predictable leading monomial (PLM) property" that is shared by minimal Gr\"{o}bner bases of modules in F[x]^q, no matter what positional term order is used. The PLM property is useful in a range of applications and can be seen as a strengthening of the wellknown predictable degree property (= row reducedness), a terminology introduced by Forney in the 70's. Because of the presence of zero divisors, minimal Gr\"{o}bner bases over a finite ring of the type Z_p^r (where p is a prime integer and r is an integer >1) do not necessarily have the PLM property. In this paper we show how to derive, from an ordered minimal Gr\"{o}bner basis, a so-called "minimal Gr\"{o}bner p-basis" that does have a PLM property. We demonstrate that minimal Gr\"obner p-bases lend themselves particularly well to derive minimal realization parametrizations over Z_p^r. Applications are in coding and sequences over Z_p^r.