Universal Groebner bases and Cartwright-Sturmfels ideals

Abstract: We describe the universal Groebner basis of the ideal of maximal minors and the ideal of $2$-minors of a multigraded matrix of linear forms. Our results imply that the ideals are radical and provide bounds on the regularity. In particular, the ideals of maximal minors have linear resolutions. Our main theoretical contribution consists of introducing two new classes of ideals named after Cartwright and Sturmfels, and proving that they are closed under multigraded hyperplane sections. The gins of the ideals that we study enjoy special properties.