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The Stacks project

10.79 Open loci defined by module maps

The set of primes where a given module map is surjective, or an isomorphism is sometimes open. In the case of finite projective modules we can look at the rank of the map.

Lemma 10.79.1. Let R be a ring. Let \varphi : M \to N be a map of R-modules with N a finite R-module. Then we have the equality

\begin{align*} U & = \{ \mathfrak p \subset R \mid \varphi _{\mathfrak p} : M_{\mathfrak p} \to N_{\mathfrak p} \text{ is surjective}\} \\ & = \{ \mathfrak p \subset R \mid \varphi \otimes \kappa (\mathfrak p) : M \otimes \kappa (\mathfrak p) \to N \otimes \kappa (\mathfrak p) \text{ is surjective}\} \end{align*}

and U is an open subset of \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(R). Moreover, for any f \in R such that D(f) \subset U the map M_ f \to N_ f is surjective.

Proof. The equality in the displayed formula follows from Nakayama's lemma. Nakayama's lemma also implies that U is open. See Lemma 10.20.1 especially part (3). If D(f) \subset U, then M_ f \to N_ f is surjective on all localizations at primes of R_ f, and hence it is surjective by Lemma 10.23.1. \square

Lemma 10.79.2. Let R be a ring. Let \varphi : M \to N be a map of R-modules with M finite and N finitely presented. Then

U = \{ \mathfrak p \subset R \mid \varphi _{\mathfrak p} : M_{\mathfrak p} \to N_{\mathfrak p} \text{ is an isomorphism}\}

is an open subset of \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(R).

Proof. Let \mathfrak p \in U. Pick a presentation N = R^{\oplus n}/\sum _{j = 1, \ldots , m} R k_ j. Denote e_ i the image in N of the ith basis vector of R^{\oplus n}. For each i \in \{ 1, \ldots , n\} choose an element m_ i \in M_{\mathfrak p} such that \varphi (m_ i) = f_ i e_ i for some f_ i \in R, f_ i \not\in \mathfrak p. This is possible as \varphi _{\mathfrak p} is an isomorphism. Set f = f_1 \ldots f_ n and let \psi : R_ f^{\oplus n} \to M_ f be the map which maps the ith basis vector to m_ i/f_ i. Note that \varphi _ f \circ \psi is the localization at f of the given map R^{\oplus n} \to N. As \varphi _{\mathfrak p} is an isomorphism we see that \psi (k_ j) is an element of M which maps to zero in M_{\mathfrak p}. Hence we see that there exist g_ j \in R, g_ j \not\in \mathfrak p such that g_ j \psi (k_ j) = 0. Setting g = g_1 \ldots g_ m, we see that \psi _ g factors through N_{fg} to give a map \chi : N_{fg} \to M_{fg}. By construction \chi is a right inverse to \varphi _{fg}. It follows that \chi _\mathfrak p is an isomorphism. By Lemma 10.79.1 there is an h \in R, h \not\in \mathfrak p such that \chi _ h : N_{fgh} \to M_{fgh} is surjective. Hence \varphi _{fgh} and \chi _ h are mutually inverse maps, which implies that D(fgh) \subset U as desired. \square

Lemma 10.79.3. Let R be a ring. Let \mathfrak p \subset R be a prime. Let M be a finitely presented R-module. If M_\mathfrak p is free, then there is an f \in R, f \not\in \mathfrak p such that M_ f is a free R_ f-module.

Proof. Choose a basis x_1, \ldots , x_ n \in M_\mathfrak p. We can choose an f \in R, f \not\in \mathfrak p such that x_ i is the image of some y_ i \in M_ f. After replacing y_ i by f^ m y_ i for m \gg 0 we may assume y_ i \in M. Namely, this replaces x_1, \ldots , x_ n by f^ mx_1, \ldots , f^ mx_ n which is still a basis as f maps to a unit in R_\mathfrak p. Hence we obtain a homomorphism \varphi = (y_1, \ldots , y_ n) : R^{\oplus n} \to M of R-modules whose localization at \mathfrak p is an isomorphism. By Lemma 10.79.2 we can find an f \in R, f \not\in \mathfrak p such that \varphi _\mathfrak q is an isomorphism for all primes \mathfrak q \subset R with f \not\in \mathfrak q. Then it follows from Lemma 10.23.1 that \varphi _ f is an isomorphism and the proof is complete. \square

Lemma 10.79.4. Let R be a ring. Let \varphi : P_1 \to P_2 be a map of finite projective modules. Then

  1. The set U of primes \mathfrak p \in \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(R) such that \varphi \otimes \kappa (\mathfrak p) is injective is open and for any f\in R such that D(f) \subset U we have

    1. P_{1, f} \to P_{2, f} is injective, and

    2. the module \mathop{\mathrm{Coker}}(\varphi )_ f is finite projective over R_ f.

  2. The set W of primes \mathfrak p \in \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(R) such that \varphi \otimes \kappa (\mathfrak p) is surjective is open and for any f\in R such that D(f) \subset W we have

    1. P_{1, f} \to P_{2, f} is surjective, and

    2. the module \mathop{\mathrm{Ker}}(\varphi )_ f is finite projective over R_ f.

  3. The set V of primes \mathfrak p \in \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(R) such that \varphi \otimes \kappa (\mathfrak p) is an isomorphism is open and for any f\in R such that D(f) \subset V the map \varphi : P_{1, f} \to P_{2, f} is an isomorphism of modules over R_ f.

Proof. To prove the set U is open we may work locally on \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(R). Thus we may replace R by a suitable localization and assume that P_1 = R^{n_1} and P_2 = R^{n_2}, see Lemma 10.78.2. In this case injectivity of \varphi \otimes \kappa (\mathfrak p) is equivalent to n_1 \leq n_2 and some n_1 \times n_1 minor f of the matrix of \varphi being invertible in \kappa (\mathfrak p). Thus D(f) \subset U. This argument also shows that P_{1, \mathfrak p} \to P_{2, \mathfrak p} is injective for \mathfrak p \in U.

Now suppose D(f) \subset U. By the remark in the previous paragraph and Lemma 10.23.1 we see that P_{1, f} \to P_{2, f} is injective, i.e., (1)(a) holds. By Lemma 10.78.2 to prove (1)(b) it suffices to prove that \mathop{\mathrm{Coker}}(\varphi ) is finite projective locally on D(f). Thus, as we saw above, we may assume that P_1 = R^{n_1} and P_2 = R^{n_2} and that some minor of the matrix of \varphi is invertible in R. If the minor in question corresponds to the first n_1 basis vectors of R^{n_2}, then using the last n_2 - n_1 basis vectors we get a map R^{n_2 - n_1} \to R^{n_2} \to \mathop{\mathrm{Coker}}(\varphi ) which is easily seen to be an isomorphism.

Openness of W and (2)(a) for D(f) \subset W follow from Lemma 10.79.1. Since P_{2, f} is projective over R_ f we see that \varphi _ f : P_{1, f} \to P_{2, f} has a section and it follows that \mathop{\mathrm{Ker}}(\varphi )_ f is a direct summand of P_{2, f}. Therefore \mathop{\mathrm{Ker}}(\varphi )_ f is finite projective. Thus (2)(b) holds as well.

It is clear that V = U \cap W is open and the other statement in (3) follows from (1)(a) and (2)(a). \square


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