Generators of D-modules in positive characteristic

Abstract

Let R be either a polynomial or a formal power series ring in a finite number of variables over a field k of characteristic p > 0 and let D be the ring of klinear differential operators of R. In this paper we prove that if f is a non-zero element of R then R[1/f], obtained from R by inverting f, is generated as a D-module by 1/f . This is very much in contrast to the characteristic zero situation where the corresponding statement is false (there the generation is governed by the roots of the Bernstein polynomial of f). In fact we prove analogs of the above result for a considerably wider class of rings R and a considerably wider class of D-modules.