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The condition that each point has a minimal open neighbourhood is necessary and sufficient (as suggested by David Treumann above, see his answer for sufficiency).

Suppose X is a topological space with a point x such that any connected nbhd of x contains a strictly smaller nbhd. Then the category of sheaves of abelian groups on X does not have sufficient projectives.

Suppose $X$ is a topological space with a point $x$ such that any connected neighbourhood of $x$ contains a strictly smaller neighbourhood. Then the category of sheaves of abelian groups on $X$ does not have sufficient projectives.

ProofProof: Given a connected nbhd Uneighbourhood $U$ of x$x$ find a strictly smaller nbhd Vneighbourhood $V$ and consider the cover {V , X-x}$\{V , X-x\}$ of X$X$. There is a surjection

Z_V \oplus Z_{X-x} \to Z_X$$Z_V \oplus Z_{X-x} \to Z_X$$

where Z_A$Z_A$ denotes the extension by zero of the constant sheaf with stalk Z$Z$ on the subspace A$A$. If there are enough projectives then there is a projective cover P \to Z_X$P \to Z_X$ of the constant sheaf. This must factorise through the above surjection. But by construction Z_V(U) =0$Z_V(U) =0$ and Z_{X-x}(U) = 0$Z_{X-x}(U) = 0$ so

P(U) \to Z_X(U)$$P(U) \to Z_X(U)$$

must be the zero map. By assumption on X$X$ this is true for any connected nbhd Uneighbourhood $U$ of x$x$ and so the stalk map

P_x \to Z_X,x = Z$$P_x \to Z_X,x = Z$$

is zero too. This contradicts the fact that P \to Z_X$P \to Z_X$ is a projective cover.

The condition that each point has a minimal open neighbourhood is necessary and sufficient (as suggested by David Treumann above, see his answer for sufficiency).

Suppose X is a topological space with a point x such that any connected nbhd of x contains a strictly smaller nbhd. Then the category of sheaves of abelian groups on X does not have sufficient projectives.

Proof: Given a connected nbhd U of x find a strictly smaller nbhd V and consider the cover {V , X-x} of X. There is a surjection

Z_V \oplus Z_{X-x} \to Z_X

where Z_A denotes the extension by zero of the constant sheaf with stalk Z on the subspace A. If there are enough projectives then there is a projective cover P \to Z_X of the constant sheaf. This must factorise through the above surjection. But by construction Z_V(U) =0 and Z_{X-x}(U) = 0 so

P(U) \to Z_X(U)

must be the zero map. By assumption on X this is true for any connected nbhd U of x and so the stalk map

P_x \to Z_X,x = Z

is zero too. This contradicts the fact that P \to Z_X is a projective cover.

The condition that each point has a minimal open neighbourhood is necessary and sufficient (as suggested by David Treumann above, see his answer for sufficiency).

Suppose $X$ is a topological space with a point $x$ such that any connected neighbourhood of $x$ contains a strictly smaller neighbourhood. Then the category of sheaves of abelian groups on $X$ does not have sufficient projectives.

Proof: Given a connected neighbourhood $U$ of $x$ find a strictly smaller neighbourhood $V$ and consider the cover $\{V , X-x\}$ of $X$. There is a surjection

$$Z_V \oplus Z_{X-x} \to Z_X$$

where $Z_A$ denotes the extension by zero of the constant sheaf with stalk $Z$ on the subspace $A$. If there are enough projectives then there is a projective cover $P \to Z_X$ of the constant sheaf. This must factorise through the above surjection. But by construction $Z_V(U) =0$ and $Z_{X-x}(U) = 0$ so

$$P(U) \to Z_X(U)$$

must be the zero map. By assumption on $X$ this is true for any connected neighbourhood $U$ of $x$ and so the stalk map

$$P_x \to Z_X,x = Z$$

is zero too. This contradicts the fact that $P \to Z_X$ is a projective cover.

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The condition that each point has a minimal open neighbourhood is necessary and sufficient (as suggested by David Treumann above, see his answer for sufficiency).

Suppose X is a topological space with a point x such that any connected nbhd of x contains a strictly smaller nbhd. Then the category of sheaves of abelian groups on X does not have sufficient projectives.

Proof: Given a connected nbhd U of x find a strictly smaller nbhd V and consider the cover {V , X-x} of X. There is a surjection

Z_V \oplus Z_{X-x} \to Z_X

where Z_A denotes the extension by zero of the constant sheaf with stalk Z on the subspace A. If there are enough projectives then there is a projective cover P \to Z_X of the constant sheaf. This must factorise through the above surjection. But by construction Z_V(U) =0 and Z_{X-x}(U) = 0 so

P(U) \to Z_X(U)

must be the zero map. By assumption on X this is true for any connected nbhd U of x and so the stalk map

P_x \to Z_X,x = Z

is zero too. This contradicts the fact that P \to Z_X is a projective cover.