Questions tagged [flatness]

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Are submersions of differentiable manifolds flat morphisms?

Let $\pi \colon M\to N$ be a smooth map between real smooth manifolds. Then $C^\infty(M)$ forms a module over $C^\infty(N)$ (via pullback). Is this module flat when $\pi$ is a submersion? Recall that ...
Michael Bächtold's user avatar
38 votes
1 answer
5k views

Flatness in Algebraic Geometry vs. Fibration in Topology

I am currently trying to get my head around flatness in algebraic geometry. In particular, I'm trying to relate the notion of flatness in algebraic geometry to the notion of fibration in algebraic ...
Daniel Loughran's user avatar
27 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=...
Anton Geraschenko's user avatar
21 votes
2 answers
3k views

Does projective imply flat?

Let $\mathcal C$ be an abelian category equipped with a closed symmetric monoidal structure. This implies in particular that the monoidal structure $\otimes$ is right exact in each variable. I care ...
Theo Johnson-Freyd's user avatar
21 votes
0 answers
1k views

Homotopy flat DG-modules

A right DG-module $F$ over an associative DG-algebra (or DG-category) $A$ is said to be homotopy flat (h-flat for brevity) if for any acyclic left DG-module $M$ over $A$ the complex of abelian groups $...
Leonid Positselski's user avatar
16 votes
2 answers
2k views

Every finitely generated flat module over a ring with finitely many minimal primes is projective

Over a commutative ring $R$, a finite type locally free (weak sense) module for which the rank function is locally constant is projective. If we notice that for each minimal prime $p$ of the ring, ...
brunoh's user avatar
  • 1,136
15 votes
2 answers
1k views

Is the support of a flat sheaf flat?

Note: in the following, all scheme/algebra morphisms should be assumed essentially of finite type. Geometric version: Let $X$ be a scheme flat over $S$ (both noetherian), and let $\mathscr{F}$ be a ...
Charles Staats's user avatar
14 votes
3 answers
2k views

Is there a notion of "flat vector bundle over a topological space"?

I am reading this paper and at the top of page 5 the author makes reference to categories consisting of flat complex vector bundles over $X$ where $X$ is an arbitrary topological space. However, the ...
Alex Grounds's user avatar
13 votes
4 answers
2k views

Does smoothness descend along flat morphisms?

Suppose $f:X\to Y$ is a flat morphism of schemes. If $X$ is smooth at $x$, must $Y$ be smooth at $f(x)$? If $f$ is locally finitely presented, then it is open (using EGA IV 1.10.4), so after ...
Anton Geraschenko's user avatar
12 votes
2 answers
790 views

Given a family of curves, when does there exist a fibered surface over Spec Z parametrizing them?

Let $X_p$ be a projective curve over the finite field $\mathbf{F}_p$ (i.e. a projective $\mathbf{F}_p$-scheme pure of dimension 1) for every prime number $p$. Let $X_\mathbf{Q}$ be a projective curve ...
Ariyan Javanpeykar's user avatar
12 votes
3 answers
3k views

Relationship between monodromy representations and isomorphism of flat vector bundles

This question is somehow related to this one. Let $M$ be a smooth (compact, if you wish) connected manifold. Then, it is well known that there is an equivalence between the isomorphism classes of ...
diverietti's user avatar
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11 votes
1 answer
1k views

flatness of power series rings

It is known that $A[[X]]$ is flat if $A$ is noetherian (see for example Bourbaki, Algèbre commutative, Ch. III, §3, Cor. 3 p. 146). What happens if A is not noetherian? Is there an easy counter-...
Baptiste Calmès's user avatar
11 votes
2 answers
863 views

intuition about the "section after base-change" for flat descent and exactness of the Amitsur complex

Suppose $A \rightarrow B$ is a faithfully flat map of rings. Then the Amitsur complex is exact: $0 \rightarrow A \rightarrow B \rightarrow B \otimes_A B \rightarrow \dots$ (the second map is $id \...
Raju's user avatar
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11 votes
2 answers
2k views

Idea behind Grothendieck's proof that formally smooth implies flat?

From this answer I learned that Grothendieck proved the following result. Theorem. Every formally smooth morphism between locally noetherian schemes is flat. The book Smoothness, Regularity, and ...
Arrow's user avatar
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11 votes
1 answer
611 views

Can flatness be specified by a natural coherent sheaf?

More precisely: Given a finite-type morphism $f \colon X \to Y$ of nice schemes (say, both of finite type over a field), is there a "natural" coherent sheaf $\mathcal F_f$ on $X$ such that the ...
Charles Staats's user avatar
10 votes
2 answers
1k views

Resolution of singularities for flat families.

Is there a resolution of singularities for flat families? More precisely, if $X \rightarrow \mathbb{A} ^n$ is a flat map, does there exist a map $Y \rightarrow X$ such that, for every $p \in \mathbb{...
Rami's user avatar
  • 2,571
10 votes
1 answer
252 views

Iteration of a morphism and flatness

Let $A$ be a Noetherian local ring, $f:A \rightarrow A$ be a local ring morphism. Assume some power of $f$ is a flat morphism, must $f$ be flat as well? Motivation: Kunz's theorem shows the result is ...
sawdada's user avatar
  • 6,148
10 votes
1 answer
797 views

Is there a direct proof that affine schemes are fppf quasi-compact?

Let $A$ be a (commutative) ring. A family $(B_i)_{i\in I}$ of $A$-algebras is said to be an fppf cover if it satisfies three properties: (1) each $B_i$ is flat as an $A$-module, (2) each $B_i$ is ...
JBorger's user avatar
  • 9,278
10 votes
0 answers
496 views

How general are Gröbner degenerations?

While working with flat degenerations of flag varieties and Schubert varieties I've noticed that among the numerous known constructions there doesn't seem to be a single one that doesn't turn out to ...
Igor Makhlin's user avatar
  • 3,493
9 votes
1 answer
1k views

Flatness from constancy of dimension of fibers

Let $M$ be a finitely presented module over the ring $R$. Suppose that for all primes $P\subset R$ the $k(P)$ vector space $M\otimes _Rk(P)$ has a dimension $d(P)$ independent of $P$. Can I conclude ...
gregorsamsa's user avatar
9 votes
2 answers
1k views

Associated graded and flatness

Let $M$ be a filtered module over a filtered algebra $A$, and suppose $gr(M)$ is flat over $gr(A)$, where $gr$ means the associated graded module and algebra, respectively. What can one say in ...
David Jordan's user avatar
  • 6,053
9 votes
2 answers
520 views

When can one extend a flat family from a subscheme to the whole scheme?

Is there a nice condition on a closed subscheme $Y$ of $X$ such that for every flat family $Z\to Y$, there is a flat family $W\to X$ whose restriction to $Y$ is $Z$? In particular, I'm interested in ...
Owen Biesel's user avatar
  • 2,326
9 votes
1 answer
548 views

Homotopical interpretation of flatness?

I have read a discussion (in a less common language) which discussed a homotopical interpretation of flatness, which went something like: A map of commutative algebras is flat if pushing it out ...
Arrow's user avatar
  • 10.3k
8 votes
3 answers
1k views

Why did Ravenel define a ring spectrum to be flat if its smash-square splits into copies of itself?

In appendix A.2 of the orange book, Ravenel defines a ring spectrum $E$ to be flat if $E\wedge E$ is equivalent to a coproduct of suspensions of $E$. (Call this definition (1).) I've seen this ...
Doron Grossman-Naples's user avatar
8 votes
3 answers
519 views

Lifting a complete intersection in $\mathbb{P}^n_{\mathbb{F}_p}$ to $\mathbb{Z}_p$

Suppose that you are given a (not necessarily smooth) projective variety $X \subseteq \mathbb{P}^n_{\mathbb{F}_p}$ of codimension $d$ that is a complete intersection. In other words, it can be defined ...
clarkkent's user avatar
  • 121
8 votes
3 answers
3k views

Quotient of flat module is flat - a property in Mumford's Red book

Hi, In Mumford's "Red Book of Varieties and Schemes", Chapter III, Paragraph 10 (entitled "Flat and smooth morphisms"), the following property is stated: Let $M$ be a $B$-module, and $B$ an algebra ...
Sasha's user avatar
  • 5,492
8 votes
2 answers
480 views

Faithful flatness and non-commutative algebras

$\DeclareMathOperator\Spec{Spec}$When dealing with commutative algebras, a usefull criterion for faithful flatness is the following: Let $f:A\rightarrow B$ be a morphism of commutative algebras. Then $...
Fernando Peña Vázquez's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
590 views

Extending faithfully flat covers of closed subschemes to open neighborhoods

I am curious about the analogue of this question, as stated in the title. Namely, If $Z \subset X$ is a closed subscheme and $Y \to Z$ is faithfully flat (let's also say of finite presentation), ...
Ryan Reich's user avatar
  • 7,173
8 votes
1 answer
598 views

Triviality of direct multiples of flat complex vector bundles

Atiyah Patodi and Singer [Spectral asymmetry and Riemannian geometry III] write that if $E$ is a complex flat bundle (non holomorphic, just smooth and complex) on a compact manifold $X$ (more ...
Paolo Antonini's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
417 views

Does a flat compactification always exist?

Let $\pi:X\to S$ be a separated flat morphism of finite type of Noetherian schemes. Does $\pi$ necessarily factor as an open immersion followed by a proper flat morphism? The analogue of this question ...
user avatar
8 votes
0 answers
986 views

Classification of flat Riemannian three manifold

By a theorem of L. Bieberbach we know that that every closed flat Riemannian manifold is a quotient of a torus via action of a finite group $\Gamma$. In this question we are interested in the ...
DLIN's user avatar
  • 1,905
8 votes
0 answers
229 views

A Hartogs-type criterion for flatness

Let $U$ be a smooth affine connected variety over $\mathbb C$ and let $V\subset U$ be an open whose complement is of codimension at least two. Now, let $Y$ be a smooth quasi-affine connected variety ...
Christophe's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
697 views

Injective flat module

Let $R$ be a (right noetherian) ring. Is there always a right $R$-module which is both flat and injective? If $R$ is an integral domain, then the answer is indeed yes, as the quotient field is such. ...
Fred.Fred's user avatar
  • 409
7 votes
1 answer
903 views

Are irreducible components of a flat family flat?

Let $f:X\rightarrow Y$ be a flat morphism of schemes of finite type over a field $k$, and assume $Y$ is irreducible. Let $X_1, \dots, X_n$ be the scheme-theoretic irreducible components of $X$ (i.e., ...
quim's user avatar
  • 1,801
7 votes
1 answer
513 views

Failure of universal flatification

Raynaud and Gruson proved a beautiful "flatification" theorem (5.2.2): If $S$ is a quasicompact, quasiseparated scheme, and $X$ is a finitely presented $S$-scheme, $M$ is an $\mathcal O_X$-module of ...
Jonathan Wise's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
589 views

Is $(x^2y,xy^2)$ log smooth?

Consider the map $$f:\mathbb C^2\to\mathbb C^2$$ $$(x,y)\mapsto(x^2y,xy^2)$$ We can view $f$ as induced by the map of monoids $g:\mathbb Z^2_{\geq 0}\to\mathbb Z^2_{\geq 0}$ given by the matrix $(\...
John Pardon's user avatar
  • 18.3k
7 votes
0 answers
252 views

Flatness, "Continuously varying fibers", and bordism

It is commonly said that a flat map of schemes $f : X \rightarrow Y$ is like a map with "continuously varying fibers". We see a hint at this in the result that $\text{dim} X_y$ is constant when $f$ is ...
Ronald J. Zallman's user avatar
7 votes
0 answers
171 views

Self-flat modules

(This is inspired by this question and asked out of pure curiosity.) Let $R$ be a commutative ring. Let $M$ and $N$ be $R$-modules. Then, $N$ is called $M$-flat if whenever $M'\rightarrow M$ is a ...
Fred Rohrer's user avatar
  • 6,660
7 votes
0 answers
267 views

Lifting flat modules over ring quotients

Let $R$ be a commutative ring, $I$ its ideal, and $\bar{R}=R/I$. For which flat $\bar{R}$-modules $\bar{F}$ is there a flat $R$-module $F$ such that $F \otimes_R R/I \simeq \bar{F}$? By Lazard's ...
Fred.Fred's user avatar
  • 409
6 votes
3 answers
1k views

Flatness for family of hypersurfaces

Let $X \to Y$ be a family of hypersurfaces in a constant $\mathbb{P}^n$, i.e. $X \subset Y \times \mathbb{P}^n$ is locally on $Y$ given by one equation of degree $d$ in $\mathbb{P}^n$. Is $X \to Y$ ...
OldMacdonaldHadaForm's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
699 views

Exactness of an additive left Kan extension

Let $\phi:R\to S$ be a flat ring homomorphism and consider the induced adjoint pair $$\phi_!:R-Mod\rightleftarrows S-Mod:\phi^*,$$ where $\phi_!=(S\otimes_R -)$. The right adjoint $\phi^*$ is easily ...
Simone Virili's user avatar
6 votes
3 answers
923 views

Torsion-free tensor powers

Let $R$ be an integral domain. If $M$ is an $R$-module such that every tensor power of $M$ over $R$ is $R$-torsion-free, then is $M$ necessarily flat as an $R$-module? If not, then does this ...
Jesse Elliott's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
348 views

Tori in Compact Riemannian Symmetric Spaces

The closure of a 1-parameter subgroup in a compact Lie group is a torus. To what extent does this result generalize to compact Riemannian symmetric spaces? In other words, is the closure of a geodesic ...
Oliver Jones's user avatar
  • 1,368
6 votes
1 answer
424 views

Flatness of schemes

I am learning about flatness for the first time and I cannot wrap my head around why the definition with tensor products of a flat module implies geometrically that 1-parameter families of schemes ...
did's user avatar
  • 595
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

The inverse limit of locally free module

A is an I-adic complete Noetherian ring. M is a finitely generated A module. For any n>0, $M/I^nM$ is a finitely generated locally free A/I^n-module. Is M necessarily a locally free A-module?
TJCM's user avatar
  • 1,091
6 votes
0 answers
218 views

Flatness of objects in a prestable $\infty$-category

I wonder what is the correct concept of flatness of objects in a prestable $\infty$-category with appropriate conditions? The typical example is the following. Let $R$ be a connective $\mathbb E_1$-...
Z. M's user avatar
  • 1,948
5 votes
2 answers
704 views

When can a finite map be blown up to a flat one?

Let $f:X\to Y$ be a generically finite proper morphism of varieties. There is some locus in $Y$ over which the fiber of $f$ is positive dimensional, so we blow it up, along with the preimage of it in ...
Charles Siegel's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
578 views

Under what hypotheses are schematic fixed points of a flat deformation themselves flat?

This is something of a follow-up question to this one; I hope people won't think this is a duplicate. At least in my head, it seems like a distinct enough question to merit a fresh start. All my ...
Ben Webster's user avatar
  • 43.9k
5 votes
1 answer
187 views

Multiple of a flat family of subschemes is flat

Let $X$ be a fixed curve (e.g. a Noetherian, projective scheme of dimension 1, of finite type over an algebraically closed field $k$) and let $S$ be an arbitrary parameter scheme over $k$. Let $D \...
Raffaele C's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
220 views

Coherent subsheaf of co-admissible modules of Schneider and Teitelbaum

Let $M$ be a co-admissible module over a Frechet Stein Algebra $A=\varprojlim A_{q_n}$ as in this paper. Let $N$ be a closed submodule of $M$. I have some difficulty in understanding lemma $3.6$ of ...
MathStudent's user avatar