Shestakov-Umirbaev reductions and Nagata's conjecture on a polynomial automorphism

Abstract

In 2003, Shestakov-Umirbaev solved Nagata's conjecture on an automorphism of a polynomial ring. In the present paper, we reconstruct their theory by using the “generalized Shestakov-Umirbaev inequality”, which was recently given by the author. As a consequence, we obtain a more precise tameness criterion for polynomial automorphisms. In particular, we deduce that no tame automorphism of a polynomial ring admits a reduction of type IV.