Bounds on Hilbert coefficients of Cohen-Macaulay modules having finite projective dimension

Let $(A,\mathfrak{m})$ be a Gorenstein local ring with $G(A)$ Cohen-Macaulay, and let $M$ be a Cohen-Macaulay $A$-module of finite projective dimension. In \cite{Quasipure}, the authors proved that $e_1(M)\ge \left(\genfrac{}{}{0px}{}{c+1}{2}\right)$, where $c=\mathrm{reg}G(A)$ and $e_i(M)$ is the $i$th Hilbert coefficient of $M$. We first show that this bound remains valid when $A$ is Cohen-Macaulay. We then study upper bounds for $e_2(M)$ when $e_1(M)=\left(\genfrac{}{}{0px}{}{c+1}{2}\right)+i$ for $i=1,2$, and investigate the consequences of equality. In particular, we obtain depth properties and explicit descriptions of the $h$-polynomial of $G(M)$. Finally, we extend these results to strict complete intersection rings without assuming that $M$ has finite projective dimension.