All Questions
Tagged with ac.commutative-algebra ag.algebraic-geometry
2,098 questions
11
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Existence of non-commutative desingularizations
Let $R$ be normal, local ring of dimension at least $2$. Let $M$ be a reflexive $R$-module and let $A=Hom_R(M,M)$. Suppose $A$ has finite global dimension. Then one can view $A$ as a weak non-...
52
votes
7
answers
8k
views
"Algebraic" topologies like the Zariski topology?
The fact that a commutative ring has a natural topological space associated with it is still a really interesting coincidence. The entire subject of Algebraic geometry is based on this simple fact.
...
3
votes
1
answer
590
views
Adjunction for underlying reduced subschemes
Let $k$ be a perfect field (so reduced = geometrically reduced) and $f:X\rightarrow \mathrm{Spec}(k)$ a Cohen-Macaulay morphism. Denote by $i:X_{red}\rightarrow X$ the underlying reduced subscheme ...
13
votes
2
answers
1k
views
When does a quasicoherent sheaf vanish?
Let $F$ be a quasi-coherent sheaf on a scheme $X$. To check that $F$ vanishes it suffices to check that all the stalks of $F$ vanish. I would like to know whether it suffices to check that all the ...
30
votes
6
answers
8k
views
Algebraic stacks from scratch [closed]
I have a pretty good understanding of stacks, sheaves, descent, Grothendieck topologies, and I have a decent understanding of commutative algebra (I know enough about smooth, unramified, étale, and ...
42
votes
4
answers
8k
views
Serre intersection formula and derived algebraic geometry?
Let $X$ be a regular scheme (all local rings are regular). Let $Y,Z$ be two closed subschemes defined by ideals sheaves $\mathcal I,\mathcal J$. Serre gave a beautiful formula to count the ...
4
votes
1
answer
412
views
F_q-structures on schemes
Let $k|\mathbb{F}_q$ be a field extension. An $\mathbb{F}_q$-structure on a $k$-algebra $A$ is an $\mathbb{F}_q$-subalgebra $A _0$ of $A$ such that $A _0 \otimes _{\mathbb{F}_q} k \cong A$ via the ...
9
votes
1
answer
884
views
Isolated hypersurface singularities, Chow groups and D-branes
Say a ring $R$ is an isolated hypersurface singularity if $R = k[x_1, \ldots, x_n]_{(x_1, \ldots, x_n)}/(W)$, where $k$ is a field and $W \in k[x_1, \ldots, x_n]$ is such that the ideal $(\partial_1 W,...
4
votes
1
answer
734
views
Parametric polynomial solution of a single polynomial equation
Let $P$ be a polynomial in $n$ variables with rational coefficients,
$P \in {\mathbb Q}[Z_1,Z_2, \ldots ,Z_n]$, and consider the algebraic
set
$Z=\lbrace (z_1,z_2,z_3, \ldots ,z_n) \in {\mathbb Q}^n |...
11
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Flat cohomology and Picard groups
Let $(R,m)$ be a local complete intersection of dimension $3$. Let $X=Spec(R)$ and $U=Spec(R) -\{m\}$ be the punctured spectrum of $R$. I am trying to understand the following comment by Gabber (see ...
6
votes
0
answers
379
views
ring-valued points of locally ringed spaces
of course, one should expect that the concept of ring-valued points is not well-behaved for locally ringed spaces (LRS). I want to see examples for this.
so consider $LRS \to Set^{Ring}, X \mapsto X(-...
35
votes
3
answers
5k
views
Matrix factorizations and physics
I have heard during some seminar talks that there are applications of the theory of
matrix factorizations in string theory. A quick search shows mostly papers written by physicists. Are there any ...
10
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Rings of integers of function fields
This might be a somewhat silly and inconsequential question, but it's aroused my curiosity. One has the theorem in commutative algebra that the integral closure of a domain $A$ in its field of ...
12
votes
5
answers
5k
views
reduced ⊗ reduced = reduced; what about connected?
Several questions actually.
All rings and algebras are supposed to be commutative and with $1$ here.
(1) Let $k$ be a field, and let $A$ and $B$ be two $k$-algebras. I need a proof that if $A$ and $...
15
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Two-dimensional quotient singularities are rational: why?
I've read that quotient singularities (that is, spectra of invariant subrings of finite groups acting linearly on polynomial rings) have rational singularities. Is there an elementary proof of this ...
12
votes
4
answers
7k
views
Definition of étale for rings
Let $A \to B$ be a ring extension.
What is the definition of $B/A$ étale ?
When $A$ is a field, do we get a nice characterization ?
46
votes
4
answers
8k
views
What does "linearly disjoint" mean for abstract field extensions?
All definitions I've seen for the statement "$E,F$ are linearly disjoint extensions of $k$" are only meaningful when $E,F$ are given as subfields of a larger field, say $K$. I am happy with the ...
6
votes
4
answers
409
views
Is tensoring with a module representable iff it is locally free of finite rank?
Motivation:
It's nice when you can think of the elements of an $A$-module $M$ as sections some $A$-scheme $Y\to Spec(A)$. That is, maps $Spec(A)\to Y$ such that $Spec(A)\to Y \to Spec(A)$ is the ...
23
votes
1
answer
966
views
Do DG-algebras have any sensible notion of integral closure?
Suppose R → S is a map of commutative differential graded algebras over a field of characteristic zero. Under what conditions can we say that there is a factorization R → R' → S ...
19
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Trace map attached to a finite homomorphism of noetherian rings
Let $f:A\rightarrow B$ be a homomorphism of noetherian rings which
makes $B$ into a finite $A$-module. Under what conditions on $f$, $A$,
$B$ can one associate to this map a canonical "trace map"
$$\...
16
votes
2
answers
899
views
When is a commutative ring the limit of its local rings?
Let $A$ be a commutative ring. Then we get local rings $A_p$ by localizing at each prime ideal $p$. Moreover, we get $A_p \rightarrow A_q$ when $p$ contains $q$. So we get a big diagram indexed by the ...
9
votes
1
answer
857
views
Some examples of depth
This is related to the question I asked last time. This sounds a bit too specific, I hope this question is still acceptable on MO.
I am still not quite comfortable with the concept of depth, and ...
21
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Two conjectures by Gabber on Brauer and Picard groups
In a paper I need to make reference to two conjectures by Gabber, from
Ofer Gabber, On purity for the Brauer group, in: Arithmetic Algebraic Geometry, MFO Report No. 37/2004, doi:10.14760/OWR-2004-37
...
5
votes
3
answers
839
views
Is (relatively) algebraically closed stable under finite field extensions?
Let $F\subset F'$ be a field extension such that $F$ is algebraically closed inside $F'$, i.e. if $x\in F'$ is algebraic over $F$ then $x$ belongs to $F$ itself.
Let now $F\subset L$ be a finite field ...
15
votes
5
answers
4k
views
Generalizing miracle flatness (Matsumura 23.1) via finite Tor-dimension
Let $(A,m_A)$ and $(B,m_B)$ be noetherian local rings and $f:A\rightarrow B$ a local homomorphism. Let $F = B/m_AB$ be the fiber ring and assume that
$$\mathrm{dim}(B) = \mathrm{dim}(A) + \mathrm{dim}...
18
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What does primary decomposition of (sub) modules mean geometrically?
I want to know how I should visualize modules in algebraic geometry. The way we visualize rings, via their spectra, automatically (or by the beauty of its design) depicts primary decomposition of ...
11
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Class groups of normal domains over finite fields
Let R be a local, normal domain of dimension 2. Suppose that R contains a finite field. I am interested in knowing when the class group of R is torsion. In characteristic 0, this is known to be ...
10
votes
2
answers
610
views
When is tensoring with a module representable by a scheme?
Consider the following: Let $A$ be a commutative ring, let $M$ be an $A$-module. When is the functor from $A$-algebras to Sets given by $R \mapsto R \otimes M$ representable by an $A$-scheme?
Unless ...
23
votes
6
answers
4k
views
Is projectiveness a Zariski-local property of modules? (Answered: Yes!)
I know that for a finitely presented $A$-module $M$ ($A$ a commutative ring), TFAE:
$M$ is projective;
$M$ is max-locally free, meaning that $M_{\mathfrak m}$ is free for every maximal ideal $\...
45
votes
5
answers
4k
views
How to think about CM rings?
There are a few questions about CM rings and depth.
Why would one consider the concept of depth? Is there any geometric meaning associated to that? The consideration of regular sequence is okay to me....
11
votes
3
answers
612
views
Can different modules have the same symmetric algebra? (answered: no)
Algebraic geometry allows one to think of an $A$-module $M$ geometrically as a module of functions on the $A$-scheme $\mathrm{Spec}(\mathrm{Sym}(M))$.
I'm wondering if anything is lost in just ...
-3
votes
3
answers
400
views
Dense section of sheaves of modules
Here is something that isn't yet very clear to me. Say, I've got a commutative ring A. I consider the affine scheme from A, so it's a sheaf of rings over Spec A.
EDIT: And additionally let's say ...
3
votes
1
answer
457
views
Intuition for Nagata's altitude formula?
This is theorem 14.C on p.84 of Matsumura's commutative algebra.
Let $A$ be a noetherian domain, and let $B$ be a finitely generated overdomain of $A$. Let $P \in Spec(B)$ and $p = P \cap A$. Then ...
8
votes
2
answers
759
views
Can any countably generated k-algebra occur as the ring of global sections of some variety?
In the answer to this question we saw that there exists a nonsingular quasi-projective threefold over a field with non-finitely generated global sections.
I was talking about this previous ...
15
votes
7
answers
4k
views
Different definitions of the dimension of an algebra
I know of three ways to define the dimension of a finitely-generated commutative algebra A over a field F:
The Gelfand-Kirillov (GK) dimension, based on the growth of the Hilbert function.
The Krull ...
4
votes
1
answer
310
views
Solvable subgroups of groups of polynomial automorphisms
Does every finitely generated free solvable group embed into the group of polynomial automorphisms of some C^n?
52
votes
7
answers
5k
views
What does a projective resolution mean geometrically?
For R a commutative ring and M an R-module, we can always find a projective resolution of M which replaces M by a sequence of projective R-modules. But as R is commutative, we can consider the affine ...
4
votes
2
answers
758
views
What is the homology of the real coordinate ring of SO(n,R)? Other compact matrix groups?
As someone whose knowledge of cohomology is patchy and picked up on a need-to-know basis, and whose algebraic geometry is even worse, I wondered if someone could help with this question. (I ran into ...
12
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Graded or stacky Serre duality
I am considering the following situation. $A$ is a finitely generated ring over a field $K$ with non-negative grading and $A_0=K$ of Krull dimension n+1, but I don't necessarily assume A is generated ...
34
votes
2
answers
7k
views
What is the geometric meaning of integral closure?
More precisely, how does one characterize integrally closed finitely generated domains (say, over C) based on geometric properties of their varieties? Given a finitely generated domain A and its ...
6
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Is there a software package that does Schubert Calculus computations?
Is there a good software package for doing computations in the cohomology ring of Grassmannians? Things like, I can write down a polynomial in, in fact, special Schubert classes, but it's one where ...
17
votes
3
answers
1k
views
R2 and S3 for rings.
For a noetherian ring R, Serre's criterion for normality states that R is normal if and only if R satisfies conditions R1 and S2, where R1 is regularity in codimension one, and S2 is Serre's condition ...
8
votes
3
answers
921
views
Generic Noether normalisation
Suppose that $M$ is a finitely generated module over $A=k[X_1,\ldots,X_n]$ of Krull dimension $m$ with $k$ an infinite field. Then one version of Noether normalisation says there is an $m$-dimensional ...
28
votes
5
answers
9k
views
Can a quotient ring R/J ever be flat over R?
If $R$ is a ring and $J\subset R$ is an ideal, can $R/J$ ever be a flat $R$-module? For algebraic geometers, the question is "can a closed immersion ever be flat?"
The answer is yes: take $J=...
20
votes
10
answers
7k
views
Resources on invariant theory
What are resources on invariant theory? Basically I've run into a need to teach myself some of the basics of invariant theory and was looking for a good place to start. I'd prefer online / freeish ...
6
votes
2
answers
673
views
are deformations of torsion modules always torsion?
Let's say I have a field $\mathbb{K}$ and a flat family of $\mathbb{K}[t]$-modules $M$ over the formal disk $Spec \mathbb{K}[[h]]$.
Now, assume that $M/hM$ is torsion as a $\mathbb{K}[t]$-module (...
20
votes
4
answers
4k
views
What is interesting/useful about Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity?
What is interesting/useful about Castelnuovo-Mumford regularity?
32
votes
6
answers
9k
views
What is the universal property of normalization?
What is the universal property of normalization? I'm looking for an answer something like
If X is a scheme and Y→X is its
normalization, then the morphism
Y→X has property P and any ...