Stanley–Reisner ring

In mathematics, a Stanley–Reisner ring, or face ring, is a quotient of a polynomial algebra over a field by a square-free monomial ideal. Such ideals are described more geometrically in terms of finite simplicial complexes. The Stanley–Reisner ring construction is a basic tool within algebraic combinatorics and combinatorial commutative algebra. Its properties were investigated by Richard Stanley, Melvin Hochster, and Gerald Reisner in the early 1970s.