On $k$-Du Bois and $k$-rational singularities

Abstract: We introduce new notions of $k$-Du Bois and $k$-rational singularities, extending the previous definitions in the case of local complete intersections (lci), to include natural examples outside of this setting. We study the stability of these notions under general hyperplane sections and show that varieties with $k$-rational singularities are $k$-Du Bois, extending previous results in [MP22b] and [FL22b] in the lci and the isolated singularities cases. In the process, we identify the aspects of the theory that depend only on the vanishing of higher cohomologies of Du Bois complexes (or related objects), and not on the behaviour of the K\"ahler differentials.