We prove (b)(a) by induction on dimension, using the independently proved (c)(a) argument in the next section. Work on an integral projective variety of dimension . The hypothesis is inherited by all its integral closed subvarieties. Induction therefore makes ample on every strictly lower-dimensional closed reduced subvariety, and hence on every proper closed subscheme of dimension less than , by ampleness on reduced components.
Choose an effective Cartier divisor which is a very ample hyperplane section of . Then is ample. We need a vanishing statement uniform in extra positive -twists:
Here is a justification using Castelnuovo–Mumford regularity. Embed by . For each of the finitely many positive cohomology degrees , Serre vanishing for the ample bundle makes vanish for . Thus the pushed-forward sheaf is zero-regular. Persistence of regularity makes it -regular for every , giving exactly the displayed vanishing. This is the uniform Serre vanishing for two ample twists lemma. It does not assume that is ample on .
Apply the divisor restriction exact sequence to with twists . For , both neighbouring cohomology groups on vanish, so
For a fixed , sufficiently large kills the right-hand cohomology by Serre vanishing for on . The higher cohomology vanishing from an ample hyperplane restriction argument gives for all . Consequently
This step is essential: divergence of a polynomial does not by itself prove that its top-degree coefficient is positive.
For large enough, . Evaluation at a closed point has a one-dimensional target, so its kernel contains a nonzero section vanishing there. We have obtained condition (c) on . Lower-dimensional subvarieties already have the same property by induction, so the next section's implication (c)(a) applies. Thus
For , higher groups with vanish automatically and the same evaluation argument starts the induction. The regularity facts used above are stated in the Stacks Project, regularity lemmas.
For ample line bundles and a coherent sheaf on a projective scheme, one gives for every , and . If is very ample, Serre vanishing for the finitely many fixed twists makes zero-regular. Persistence of Castelnuovo–Mumford regularity gives all nonnegative -twists. For general ample , use a very ample power and treat finitely many residues of .