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12.26 Double complexes of abelian groups

In this section we put some results on double complexes of abelian groups for which do not (yet) have the analogues results for general abelian categories. Please be careful not to use these lemmas except when the underlying abelian category is the category of abelian groups or some such (e.g., the category of modules over a ring). Some of the arguments will be difficult to follow without drawing “zig-zags” on a napkin – compare with the proof of Algebra, Lemma 10.75.3.

Lemma 12.26.1. Let M^\bullet be a complex of abelian groups. Let

0 \to M^\bullet \to A_0^\bullet \to A_1^\bullet \to A_2^\bullet \to \ldots

be an exact complex of complexes of abelian groups. Set A^{p, q} = A_ p^ q to obtain a double complex. Then the map M^\bullet \to \text{Tot}(A^{\bullet , \bullet }) induced by M^\bullet \to A_0^\bullet is a quasi-isomorphism.

Proof. If there exists a t \in \mathbf{Z} such that A_0^ q = 0 for q < t, then this follows immediately from Lemma 12.25.4 (with p and q swapped as in the final statement of that lemma). OK, but for every t \in \mathbf{Z} we have a complex

0 \to \sigma _{\geq t}M^\bullet \to \sigma _{\geq t}A_0^\bullet \to \sigma _{\geq t}A_1^\bullet \to \sigma _{\geq t}A_2^\bullet \to \ldots

of stupid truncations. Denote A(t)^{\bullet , \bullet } the corresponding double complex. Every element \xi of H^ n(\text{Tot}(A^{\bullet , \bullet })) is the image of an element of H^ n(\text{Tot}(A(t)^{\bullet , \bullet })) for some t (look at explicit representatives of cohomology classes). Hence \xi is in the image of H^ n(\sigma _{\geq t}M^\bullet ). Thus the map H^ n(M^\bullet ) \to H^ n(\text{Tot}(A^{\bullet , \bullet })) is surjective. It is injective because for all t the map H^ n(\sigma _{\geq t}M^\bullet ) \to H^ n(\text{Tot}(A(t)^{\bullet , \bullet })) is injective and similar arguments. \square

Lemma 12.26.2. Let M^\bullet be a complex of abelian groups. Let

\ldots \to A_2^\bullet \to A_1^\bullet \to A_0^\bullet \to M^\bullet \to 0

be an exact complex of complexes of abelian groups such that for all p \in \mathbf{Z} the complexes

\ldots \to \mathop{\mathrm{Ker}}(d_{A_2^\bullet }^ p) \to \mathop{\mathrm{Ker}}(d_{A_1^\bullet }^ p) \to \mathop{\mathrm{Ker}}(d_{A_0^\bullet }^ p) \to \mathop{\mathrm{Ker}}(d_{M^\bullet }^ p) \to 0

are exact as well. Set A^{p, q} = A_{-p}^ q to obtain a double complex. Then \text{Tot}(A^{\bullet , \bullet }) \to M^\bullet induced by A_0^\bullet \to M^\bullet is a quasi-isomorphism.

Proof. Using the short exact sequences 0 \to \mathop{\mathrm{Ker}}(d^ p_{A_ n^\bullet }) \to A_ n^ p \to \mathop{\mathrm{Im}}(d^ p_{A_ n^\bullet }) \to 0 and the assumptions we see that

\ldots \to \mathop{\mathrm{Im}}(d_{A_2^\bullet }^ p) \to \mathop{\mathrm{Im}}(d_{A_1^\bullet }^ p) \to \mathop{\mathrm{Im}}(d_{A_0^\bullet }^ p) \to \mathop{\mathrm{Im}}(d_{M^\bullet }^ p) \to 0

is exact for all p \in \mathbf{Z}. Repeating with the exact sequences 0 \to \mathop{\mathrm{Im}}(d^{p - 1}_{A_ n^\bullet }) \to \mathop{\mathrm{Ker}}(d^ p_{A_ n^\bullet }) \to H^ p(A_ n^\bullet ) \to 0 we find that

\ldots \to H^ p(A_2^\bullet ) \to H^ p(A_1^\bullet ) \to H^ p(A_0^\bullet ) \to H^ p(M^\bullet ) \to 0

is exact for all p \in \mathbf{Z}.

Write T^\bullet = \text{Tot}(A^{\bullet , \bullet }). We will show that H^0(T^\bullet ) \to H^0(M^\bullet ) is an isomorphism. The same argument works for other degrees. Let x \in \mathop{\mathrm{Ker}}(\text{d}_{T^\bullet }^0) represent an element \xi \in H^0(T^\bullet ). Write x = \sum _{i = n, \ldots , 0} x_ i with x_ i \in A_ i^ i. Assume n > 0. Then x_ n is in the kernel of d_{A_ n^\bullet }^ n and maps to zero in H^ n(A_{n - 1}^\bullet ) because it maps to an element which is the boundary of x_{n - 1} up to sign. By the first paragraph of the proof, we find that x_ n \bmod \mathop{\mathrm{Im}}(d^{n - 1}_{A_ n^\bullet }) is in the image of H^ n(A_{n + 1}^\bullet ) \to H^ n(A_ n^\bullet ). Thus we can modify x by a boundary and reach the situation where x_ n is a boundary. Modifying x once more we see that we may assume x_ n = 0. By induction we see that every cohomology class \xi is represented by a cocycle x = x_0. Finally, the condition on exactness of kernels tells us two such cocycles x_0 and x_0' are cohomologous if and only if their image in H^0(M^\bullet ) are the same. \square

Lemma 12.26.3. Let M^\bullet be a complex of abelian groups. Let

0 \to M^\bullet \to A_0^\bullet \to A_1^\bullet \to A_2^\bullet \to \ldots

be an exact complex of complexes of abelian groups such that for all p \in \mathbf{Z} the complexes

0 \to \mathop{\mathrm{Coker}}(d_{M^\bullet }^ p) \to \mathop{\mathrm{Coker}}(d_{A_0^\bullet }^ p) \to \mathop{\mathrm{Coker}}(d_{A_1^\bullet }^ p) \to \mathop{\mathrm{Coker}}(d_{A_2^\bullet }^ p) \to \ldots

are exact as well. Set A^{p, q} = A_ p^ q to obtain a double complex. Let \text{Tot}_\pi (A^{\bullet , \bullet }) be the product total complex associated to the double complex (see proof). Then the map M^\bullet \to \text{Tot}_\pi (A^{\bullet , \bullet }) induced by M^\bullet \to A_0^\bullet is a quasi-isomorphism.

Proof. Abbreviating T^\bullet = \text{Tot}_\pi (A^{\bullet , \bullet }) we define

T^ n = \prod \nolimits _{p + q = n} A^{p, q} = \prod \nolimits _{p + q = n} A_ p^ q \quad \text{with}\quad \text{d}_{T^\bullet }^ n = \prod \nolimits _{n = p + q} (f_ p^ q + (-1)^ pd_{A_ p^\bullet }^ q)

where f_ p^\bullet : A_ p^\bullet \to A_{p + 1}^\bullet are the maps of complexes in the lemma.

We will show that H^0(M^\bullet ) \to H^0(T^\bullet ) is an isomorphism. The same argument works for other degrees. Let x \in \mathop{\mathrm{Ker}}(\text{d}_{T^\bullet }^0) represent \xi \in H^0(T^\bullet ). Write x = (x_ i) with x_ i \in A_ i^{-i}. Note that x_0 maps to zero in \mathop{\mathrm{Coker}}(A_1^{-1} \to A_1^0). Hence we see that x_0 = m_0 + d_{A_0^\bullet }^{-1}(y) for some m_0 \in M^0 and y \in A_0^{-1}. Then d_{M^\bullet }(m_0) = 0 because \text{d}_{A_0^\bullet }(x_0) = 0 as \text{d}_{T^\bullet }(x) = 0. Thus, replacing \xi by something in the image of H^0(M^\bullet ) \to H^0(T^\bullet ) we may assume that x_0 is in \mathop{\mathrm{Im}}(d^{-1}_{A_0^\bullet }).

Assume x_0 \in \mathop{\mathrm{Im}}(d^{-1}_{A_0^\bullet }). We claim that in this case \xi = 0. To prove this we find, by induction on n elements y_0, y_1, \ldots , y_ n with y_ i \in A_ i^{-i - 1} such that x_0 = \text{d}_{A_0}^{-1}(y_0) and x_ j = f_{j - 1}^{-j}(y_{j - 1}) + (-1)^ j d^{-j - 1}_{A_ j^\bullet }(y_ j) for j = 1, \ldots , n. This is clear for n = 0. Proof of induction step: suppose we have found y_0, \ldots , y_{n - 1}. Then w_ n = x_ n - f_{n - 1}^{-n}(y_{n - 1}) is in the kernel of d^{-n}_{A_ n^\bullet } and maps to zero in H^{-n}(A_{n + 1}^\bullet ) (because it maps to an element which is the boundary of x_{n + 1} up to sign). Exactly as in the proof of Lemma 12.26.2 the assumptions of the lemma imply that

0 \to H^ p(M^\bullet ) \to H^ p(A_0^\bullet ) \to H^ p(A_1^\bullet ) \to H^ p(A_2^\bullet ) \to \ldots

is exact for all p \in \mathbf{Z}. Thus after changing y_{n - 1} by an element in \mathop{\mathrm{Ker}}(d^{n - 1}_{A_{n - 1}^\bullet }) we may assume that w_ n maps to zero in H^{-n}(A_ n^\bullet ). This means we can find y_ n as desired. Observe that this procedure does not change y_0, \ldots , y_{n - 2}. Hence continuing ad infinitum we find an element y = (y_ i) in T^{n - 1} with d_{T^\bullet }(y) = \xi . This shows that H^0(M^\bullet ) \to H^0(T^\bullet ) is surjective.

Suppose that m_0 \in \mathop{\mathrm{Ker}}(d^0_{M^\bullet }) maps to zero in H^0(T^\bullet ). Say it maps to the differential applied to y = (y_ i) \in T^{-1} . Then y_0 \in A_0^{-1} maps to zero in \mathop{\mathrm{Coker}}(d^{-2}_{A_1^\bullet }). By assumption this means that y_0 \bmod \mathop{\mathrm{Im}}(d^{-2}_{A_0^\bullet }) is the image of some z \in M^{-1}. It follows that m_0 = d^{-1}_{M^\bullet }(z). This proves injectivity and the proof is complete. \square

Lemma 12.26.4. Let M^\bullet be a complex of abelian groups. Let

\ldots \to A_2^\bullet \to A_1^\bullet \to A_0^\bullet \to M^\bullet \to 0

be an exact complex of complexes of abelian groups. Set A^{p, q} = A_{-p}^ q to obtain a double complex. Let \text{Tot}_\pi (A^{\bullet , \bullet }) be the product total complex associated to the double complex (see proof). Then the map \text{Tot}_\pi (A^{\bullet , \bullet }) \to M^\bullet induced by A_0^\bullet \to M^\bullet is a quasi-isomorphism.

Proof. Abbreviating T^\bullet = \text{Tot}_\pi (A^{\bullet , \bullet }) we define

T^ n = \prod \nolimits _{p + q = n} A^{p, q} = \prod \nolimits _{p + q = n} A_{-p}^ q \quad \text{with}\quad \text{d}_{T^\bullet }^ n = \prod \nolimits _{n = p + q} (f_{-p}^ q + (-1)^ pd_{A_{-p}^\bullet }^ q)

where f_ p^\bullet : A_ p^\bullet \to A_{p - 1}^\bullet are the maps of complexes in the lemma. We will show that T^\bullet is acyclic when M^\bullet is the zero complex. This will suffice by the following trick. Set B_ n^\bullet = A_{n + 1}^\bullet and B_0^\bullet = M^\bullet . Then we have an exact sequence

\ldots \to B_2^\bullet \to B_1^\bullet \to B_0^\bullet \to 0 \to 0

as in the lemma. Let S^\bullet = \text{Tot}_\pi (B^{\bullet , \bullet }). Then there is an obvious short exact sequence of complexes

0 \to M^\bullet \to S^\bullet \to T^\bullet [1] \to 0

and we conclude by the long exact cohomology sequence. Some details omitted.

Assume M^\bullet = 0. We will show H^0(T^\bullet ) = 0. The same argument works for other degrees. Let x =(x_ n) \in \mathop{\mathrm{Ker}}(d_{T^\bullet }) map to \xi \in H^0(T^\bullet ) with x_ n \in A^{-n, n} = A_ n^ n. Since M^0 = 0 we find that x_0 = f_1^0(y_0) for some y_0 \in A_1^0. Then x_1 - d^0_{A_1^\bullet }(y_0) = f_2^1(y_1) because it is mapped to zero by f_1^1 as x is a cocycle. for some y_1 \in A_2^1. Continuing, using induction, we find y = (y_ i) \in T^{-1} with d_{T^\bullet }(y) = x as desired. \square


Comments (2)

Comment #8273 by Won Seong on

There's a typo at the very first of this section 'cateogry'


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