The Stacks project

Proof. Let $S$ be a scheme. Let $X$ be a formal algebraic space over $S$. By (87.34.1.1) it suffices to construct $\mathcal{O}_ X$ as a sheaf of topological rings on $X_{affine, {\acute{e}tale}}$. Denote $\mathcal{C}$ the category whose objects are morphisms $\varphi : U \to X$ of formal algebraic spaces such that $U$ is an affine formal algebraic space and $\varphi$ is representable by algebraic spaces and étale. By Lemma 87.34.7 the functor $U \mapsto U_{red}$ is an equivalence of categories $\mathcal{C} \to X_{affine, {\acute{e}tale}}$. Hence by the rule given above the lemma, we already have $\mathcal{O}_ X$ as a presheaf of topological rings on $X_{affine, {\acute{e}tale}}$. Thus it suffices to check the sheaf condition.

By definition of $X_{affine, {\acute{e}tale}}$ a covering corresponds to a finite family $\{ g_ i : U_ i \to U\} _{i = 1, \ldots , n}$ of morphisms of $\mathcal{C}$ such that $\{ U_{i, red} \to U_{red}\}$ is an étale covering. The morphisms $g_ i$ are representably by algebraic spaces (Lemma 87.19.3) hence affine (Lemma 87.19.7). Then $g_ i$ is étale (follows formally from Properties of Spaces, Lemma 66.16.6 as $U_ i$ and $U$ are étale over $X$ in the sense of Bootstrap, Section 80.4). Finally, write $U = \mathop{\mathrm{colim}}\nolimits U_\lambda$ as in Definition 87.9.1.

With these preparations out of the way, we can prove the sheaf property as follows. For each $\lambda$ we set $U_{i, \lambda } = U_ i \times _ U U_\lambda$ and $U_{ij, \lambda } = (U_ i \times _ U U_ j) \times _ U U_\lambda$. By the above, these are affine schemes, $\{ U_{i, \lambda } \to U_\lambda \}$ is an étale covering, and $U_{ij, \lambda } = U_{i, \lambda } \times _{U_\lambda } U_{j, \lambda }$. Also we have $U_ i = \mathop{\mathrm{colim}}\nolimits U_{i, \lambda }$ and $U_ i \times _ U U_ j = \mathop{\mathrm{colim}}\nolimits U_{ij, \lambda }$. For each $\lambda$ we have an exact sequence

as we have the sheaf condition for the structure sheaf on $U_\lambda$ and the étale topology (see Étale Cohomology, Proposition 59.17.1). Since limits commute with limits, the inverse limit of these exact sequences is an exact sequence

which exactly means that

is exact and hence the sheaf property holds as desired. $\square$

Proof. We may work with $X_{affine, {\acute{e}tale}}$ as this gives the same topos. We will apply Cohomology on Sites, Lemma 21.10.9 to show we have vanishing. Since $X_{affine, {\acute{e}tale}}$ has finite disjoint unions, this reduces us to the Čech complex of a covering given by a single arrow $\{ U_{red} \to V_{red}\}$ in $X_{affine, {\acute{e}tale}} = X_{red, affine, {\acute{e}tale}}$ (see Étale Cohomology, Lemma 59.22.1). Thus we have to show that

is exact. We will do this below in the case $V_{red} = X_{red}$. The general case is proven in exactly the same way.

Recall that $X = \text{Spf}(A)$ where $A$ is a weakly admissible topological ring having a countable fundamental system of weak ideals of definition. We have seen in Lemmas 87.34.4 and 87.34.5 that the object $U_{red}$ in $X_{affine, {\acute{e}tale}}$ corresponds to a morphism $U \to X$ of affine formal algebraic spaces which is representable by algebraic space and étale and $U = \text{Spf}(B^\wedge )$ where $B$ is an étale $A$-algebra. By our rule for the structure sheaf we see

We recall that $B^\wedge = \mathop{\mathrm{lim}}\nolimits B/JB$ where the limit is over weak ideals of definition $J \subset A$. Working through the definitions we obtain

and so on. Since $U \to X$ is a covering the map $A \to B$ is faithfully flat, see Lemma 87.19.14. Hence the complex

is universally exact, see Descent, Lemma 35.3.6. Our goal is to show that

is zero for $n > 0$. To see what is going on, let's split our exact complex (before completion) into short exact sequences

By what we said above, these are universally exact short exact sequences. Hence $JM_ i = M_ i \cap J(B^{\otimes _ A i + 1})$ for every ideal $J$ of $A$. In particular, the topology on $M_ i$ as a submodule of $B^{\otimes _ A i + 1}$ is the same as the topology on $M_ i$ as a quotient module of $B^{\otimes _ A i}$. Therefore, since there exists a countable fundamental system of weak ideals of definition in $A$, the sequences

remain exact by Lemma 87.4.5. This proves the lemma. $\square$