
## 18.30 Flat morphisms

Definition 18.30.1. Let $(f, f^\sharp ) : (\mathop{\mathit{Sh}}\nolimits (\mathcal{C}), \mathcal{O}) \longrightarrow (\mathop{\mathit{Sh}}\nolimits (\mathcal{C}'), \mathcal{O}')$ be a morphism of ringed topoi. We say $(f, f^\sharp )$ is flat if the ring map $f^\sharp : f^{-1}\mathcal{O}' \to \mathcal{O}$ is flat. We say a morphism of ringed sites is flat if the associated morphism of ringed topoi is flat.

Lemma 18.30.2. Let $f : \mathop{\mathit{Sh}}\nolimits (\mathcal{C}) \to \mathop{\mathit{Sh}}\nolimits (\mathcal{C}')$ be a morphism of ringed topoi. Then

$f^{-1} : \textit{Ab}(\mathcal{C}') \longrightarrow \textit{Ab}(\mathcal{C}), \quad \mathcal{F} \longmapsto f^{-1}\mathcal{F}$

is exact. If $(f, f^\sharp ) : (\mathop{\mathit{Sh}}\nolimits (\mathcal{C}), \mathcal{O}) \to (\mathop{\mathit{Sh}}\nolimits (\mathcal{C}'), \mathcal{O}')$ is a flat morphism of ringed topoi then

$f^* : \textit{Mod}(\mathcal{O}') \longrightarrow \textit{Mod}(\mathcal{O}), \quad \mathcal{F} \longmapsto f^*\mathcal{F}$

is exact.

Proof. Given an abelian sheaf $\mathcal{G}$ on $\mathcal{C}'$ the underlying sheaf of sets of $f^{-1}\mathcal{G}$ is the same as $f^{-1}$ of the underlying sheaf of sets of $\mathcal{G}$, see Sites, Section 7.44. Hence the exactness of $f^{-1}$ for sheaves of sets (required in the definition of a morphism of topoi, see Sites, Definition 7.15.1) implies the exactness of $f^{-1}$ as a functor on abelian sheaves.

To see the statement on modules recall that $f^*\mathcal{F}$ is defined as the tensor product $f^{-1}\mathcal{F} \otimes _{f^{-1}\mathcal{O}', f^\sharp } \mathcal{O}$. Hence $f^*$ is a composition of functors both of which are exact. $\square$

Definition 18.30.3. Let $f : (\mathop{\mathit{Sh}}\nolimits (\mathcal{C}), \mathcal{O}) \to (\mathop{\mathit{Sh}}\nolimits (\mathcal{D}), \mathcal{O}')$ be a morphism of ringed topoi. Let $\mathcal{F}$ be a sheaf of $\mathcal{O}$-modules. We say that $\mathcal{F}$ is flat over $(\mathop{\mathit{Sh}}\nolimits (\mathcal{D}), \mathcal{O}')$ if $\mathcal{F}$ is flat as an $f^{-1}\mathcal{O}'$-module.

This is compatible with the notion as defined for morphisms of ringed spaces, see Modules, Definition 17.18.3 and the discussion following.

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