This thesis concerns the study of the Lefschetz properties of artinian monomial algebras. An artinian algebra is said to satisfy the strong Lefschetz property if multiplication by all powers of a general linear form has maximal rank in every degree. If it holds for the first power it is said to have the weak Lefschetz property (WLP).

In the first paper, we study the Lefschetz properties of monomial algebras by studying their minimal free resolutions. In particular, we give an afirmative answer to an specific case of a conjecture by Eisenbud, Huneke and Ulrich for algebras having almost linear resolutions. Since many algebras are expected to have the Lefschetz properties, studying algebras failing the Lefschetz properties is of a great interest. In the second paper, we provide sharp lower bounds for the number of generators of monomial ideals failing the WLP extending a result by Mezzetti and Miró-Roig which provides upper bounds for such ideals. In the second paper, we also study the WLP of ideals generated by forms of a certain degree invariant under an action of a cyclic group. We give a complete classication of such ideals satisfying the WLP in terms of the representation of the group generalizing a result by Mezzetti and Miró-Roig.