Definition 13.28.1. Let \mathcal{D} be a triangulated category. We denote K_0(\mathcal{D}) the zeroth K-group of \mathcal{D}. It is the abelian group constructed as follows. Take the free abelian group on the objects on \mathcal{D} and for every distinguished triangle X \to Y \to Z impose the relation [Y] - [X] - [Z] = 0.
13.28 K-groups
A tiny bit about K_0 of a triangulated category.
Observe that this implies that [X[n]] = (-1)^ n[X] because we have the distinguished triangle (X, 0, X[1], 0, 0, -\text{id}[1]).
Lemma 13.28.2. Let \mathcal{A} be an abelian category. Then there is a canonical identification K_0(D^ b(\mathcal{A})) = K_0(\mathcal{A}) of zeroth K-groups.
Proof. Given an object A of \mathcal{A} denote A[0] the object A viewed as a complex sitting in degree 0. If 0 \to A \to A' \to A'' \to 0 is a short exact sequence, then we get a distinguished triangle A[0] \to A'[0] \to A''[0] \to A[1], see Section 13.12. This shows that we obtain a map K_0(\mathcal{A}) \to K_0(D^ b(\mathcal{A})) by sending [A] to [A[0]] with apologies for the horrendous notation.
On the other hand, given an object X of D^ b(\mathcal{A}) we can consider the element
c(X) = \sum (-1)^ i[H^ i(X)] \in K_0(\mathcal{A})
Given a distinguished triangle X \to Y \to Z the long exact sequence of cohomology (13.11.1.1) and the relations in K_0(\mathcal{A}) show that c(Y) = c(X) + c(Z). Thus c factors through a map c : K_0(D^ b(\mathcal{A})) \to K_0(\mathcal{A}).
We want to show that the two maps above are mutually inverse. It is clear that the composition K_0(\mathcal{A}) \to K_0(D^ b(\mathcal{A})) \to K_0(\mathcal{A}) is the identity. Suppose that X^\bullet is a bounded complex of \mathcal{A}. The existence of the distinguished triangles of “stupid truncations” (see Homology, Section 12.15)
\sigma _{\geq n}X^\bullet \to \sigma _{\geq n - 1}X^\bullet \to X^{n - 1}[-n + 1] \to (\sigma _{\geq n}X^\bullet )[1]
and induction show that
[X^\bullet ] = \sum (-1)^ i[X^ i[0]]
in K_0(D^ b(\mathcal{A})) (with again apologies for the notation). It follows that the composition K_0(\mathcal{A}) \to K_0(D^ b(\mathcal{A})) is surjective which finishes the proof. \square
Lemma 13.28.3. Let F : \mathcal{D} \to \mathcal{D}' be an exact functor of triangulated categories. Then F induces a group homomorphism K_0(\mathcal{D}) \to K_0(\mathcal{D}').
Proof. Omitted. \square
Lemma 13.28.4. Let H : \mathcal{D} \to \mathcal{A} be a homological functor from a triangulated category to an abelian category. Assume that for any X in \mathcal{D} only a finite number of the objects H(X[i]) are nonzero in \mathcal{A}. Then H induces a group homomorphism K_0(\mathcal{D}) \to K_0(\mathcal{A}) sending [X] to \sum (-1)^ i[H(X[i])].
Proof. Omitted. \square
Lemma 13.28.5. Let \mathcal{B} be a weak Serre subcategory of the abelian category \mathcal{A}. There is a canonical isomorphism
K_0(\mathcal{B}) \longrightarrow K_0(D^ b_\mathcal {B}(\mathcal{A})),\quad [B] \longmapsto [B[0]]
The inverse sends the class [X] of X to the element \sum (-1)^ i[H^ i(X)].
Proof. We omit the verification that the rule for the inverse gives a well defined map K_0(D^ b_\mathcal {B}(\mathcal{A})) \to K_0(\mathcal{B}). It is immediate that the composition K_0(\mathcal{B}) \to K_0(D^ b_\mathcal {B}(\mathcal{A})) \to K_0(\mathcal{B}) is the identity. On the other hand, using the distinguished triangles of Remark 13.12.4 and an induction argument the reader may show that the displayed arrow in the statement of the lemma is surjective (details omitted). The lemma follows. \square
Lemma 13.28.6. Let \mathcal{D}, \mathcal{D}', \mathcal{D}'' be triangulated categories. Let
\otimes : \mathcal{D} \times \mathcal{D}' \longrightarrow \mathcal{D}''
be a functor such that for fixed X in \mathcal{D} the functor X \otimes - : \mathcal{D}' \to \mathcal{D}'' is an exact functor and for fixed X' in \mathcal{D}' the functor - \otimes X' : \mathcal{D} \to \mathcal{D}'' is an exact functor. Then \otimes induces a bilinear map K_0(\mathcal{D}) \times K_0(\mathcal{D}') \to K_0(\mathcal{D}'') which sends ([X], [X']) to [X \otimes X'].
Proof. Omitted. \square
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