Affine module sheaf ($\tilde{M}(D(f))=M_f$)

For an affine variety with coordinate ring $A$ and an $A$-module $M$, localization defines sections on principal open subsets by the displayed formula. Restrictions are the natural localization maps. Equivalently, a section is a family of stalk values which locally come from one fraction $m/f^r$. These data form a quasi-coherent sheaf, with global sections $M$ and stalk $M_{{\mathfrak{m}}_P}$ at $P$. Sheaf tensor products correspond to tensor products over $A$; pullback of a sheaf of modules corresponds to extension of scalars, and affine direct image to restriction of scalars.

For a Noetherian ring $A$, a finitely generated module $M$ has a finite presentation of a module, and kernels of maps from finite free modules to $M$ are finitely generated. Its affine module sheaf is therefore a coherent sheaf. Conversely, if $\tilde{M}$ is coherent, choose a finite principal open subset cover on which its section modules are finitely generated. Lift their finitely many generators to numerators in $M$. The submodule generated by these numerators becomes all of $M$ on every chart, and hence is all of $M$: its quotient has zero localization at every point. This proves finite generation without assuming that global sections preserve arbitrary sheaf surjections.