Linear gaps between degrees for the polynomial calculus modulo distinct primes

Two important algebraic proof systems are the Nullstellensatz system and the polynomial calculus (also called the Grobner system). The Nullstellensatz system is a propositional proof system based on Hilbert's Nullstellensatz, and the polynomial calculus (PC) is a proof system which allows derivations of polynomials, over some field. The complexity of a proof in these systems is measured in terms of the degree of the polynomials used in the proof. The mod p counting principle can be formulated as a set MOD/sub p//sup n/ of constant-degree polynomials expressing the negation of the counting principle. The Tseitin mod p principles, TS/sub n/(p), are translations of the MOD/sub p//sup n/ into the Fourier basis. The present paper gives linear lower bounds on the degree of polynomial calculus refutations of MOD/sub p//sup n/ over p fields of characteristic q /spl ne/ p and over rings Z/sub q/ with q,p relatively prime. These are the first linear lower bounds for the polynomial calculus. As it is well-known to be easy to give constant degree polynomial calculus (and even Nullstellensatz) refutations of the MOD/sub p//sup n/ polynomials over F/sub p/, our results imply that the MOD/sub p//sup n/ polynomials have a linear gap between proof complexity for the polynomial calculus over F/sub p/ and over F/sub q/. We also obtain a linear gap for the polynomial calculus over rings Z/sub p/ and Z/sub q/ where p, q do not have identical prime factors.