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Let $X$ be a separated Noetherian scheme over a field $k$ and $\mathcal{F}$ a coherent sheaf. Coherent cohomology studies the groups $H^q(X,\mathcal{F})$: global sections in degree zero and the obstructions to gluing local sections in higher degrees. Coherence means finite generation locally, and on a Noetherian scheme it is preserved by kernels, cokernels and extensions. This makes coherent sheaves suitable for exact-sequence calculations.

For an ordered open cover $\mathcal{U}=(U_i)$, the Čech cochain groups arewith differentialEach double omission occurs twice with opposite signs, so ${\delta }^2=0$. The Čech cohomology of the cover is ${\check{H}}^q=\ker \delta /\mathrm{im}\delta$, and taking the direct limit over refinements defines cover-independent Čech cohomology. In degree zero the sheaf gluing axiom identifies it with $\Gamma (X,\mathcal{F})$.

The comparison with derived-functor sheaf cohomology is particularly effective algebraically. Positive-degree cohomology of a quasi-coherent sheaf on an affine scheme vanishes. A separated scheme has affine intersections of affine opens, so a finite affine cover is acyclic for $\mathcal{F}$. Its Čech cochain complex consequently computes $H^q(X,\mathcal{F})$ directly. For a short exact sequence of sheaves, sections over each affine intersection are exact on quasi-coherent sheaves. The resulting short exact sequence of Čech complexes gives the long exact sequence in sheaf cohomology. In particular, the connecting map measures the failure of a global section of the quotient to lift globally.

Several central projective results make the theory finite and computable. On a projective variety over $k$, every coherent cohomology group is finite-dimensional. The Grothendieck vanishing theorem gives $H^q(X,\mathcal{F})=0$ for $q>\dim X$. If ${\mathcal{O}}_X(1)$ is ample, Serre vanishing gives $H^{q>0}(X,\mathcal{F}(m))=0$ for sufficiently large $m$, and these large twists are globally generated sheaves. On projective space a coherent sheaf has a finite twisting resolution of a coherent sheaf on projective space: finite sums of $\mathcal{O}(a)$ resolve it. The explicit line-bundle cohomology below and the long exact sequences prove finiteness and positive-twist vanishing. For a closed embedding $i:X\hookrightarrow {\mathbb{P}}^n$, $i_{\ast }\mathcal{F}$ is coherent and $H^q(X,\mathcal{F})=H^q({\mathbb{P}}^n,i_{\ast }\mathcal{F})$, reducing these results to projective space. A sufficiently positive twist of a finite presentation by sums of $\mathcal{O}(-a)$ also proves global generation.

The Euler characteristic of a coherent sheafis therefore defined, and the long exact sequence makes it additive. With a fixed projective embedding, $\chi (X,\mathcal{F}(m))$ is its Hilbert polynomial, and for sufficiently large $m$ it equals $h^0(X,\mathcal{F}(m))$. On a smooth projective variety of dimension $r$, Serre duality gives, for a vector bundle $E$,For an arbitrary coherent sheaf the correct counterpart is $H^q(X,\mathcal{F}{)}^{\ast }\cong {\mathrm{Ext}}_X^{r-q}(\mathcal{F},{\omega }_X)$; replacing this Ext group indiscriminately by the cohomology of the ordinary sheaf dual would lose local extension information.

We now calculate the basic examples. For $n\ge 1$, use the standard cover $U_i=D_{+}(x_i)$ of ${\mathbb{P}}^n$. Sections of $\mathcal{O}(m)$ on an intersection are degree-$m$ Laurent monomials in which negative exponents are allowed only for coordinates inverted on that intersection. Decompose the Čech cochain complex by exponent vectors $(a_0,\dots ,a_n)$ with sum $m$. If no exponent is negative, the corresponding simplex complex contributes only in degree zero. If all exponents are negative, the monomial occurs only on the full intersection and contributes only in degree $n$. When the negative-index set is nonempty and proper, inserting any index outside it gives a contracting homotopy, so the monomial complex is acyclic. Hence the cohomology of twisting sheaves on projective space isIn the top group a basis consists of the Laurent monomials with every exponent at most $-1$. Writing $a_i=-1-b_i$ reduces the count to nonnegative solutions of $\sum b_i=-m-n-1$, giving the displayed binomial coefficient. In particular, all intermediate cohomology vanishes, and ${\omega }_{{\mathbb{P}}^n}=\mathcal{O}(-n-1)$ agrees with Serre duality. For ${\mathbb{P}}^0$ separately, every twist is trivial and $H^0=k$.

On the projective line this givesThus positive and negative degrees produce quite different groups, while their alternating difference is a single polynomial. The twisted cubic is isomorphic to ${\mathbb{P}}^1$ and its hyperplane bundle corresponds to ${\mathcal{O}}_{{\mathbb{P}}^1}(3)$. Consequently $h^0(X,{\mathcal{O}}_X(m))=3m+1$ for $m\ge 0$, agreeing with Q2, and $h^1(X,{\mathcal{O}}_X(m))=\max (-3m-1,0)$.

For a smooth plane curve $C$ of degree $d\ge 1$, the ideal-sheaf sequence of a projective hypersurface isThe long exact sequence in sheaf cohomology and the preceding formula give $H^0(C,{\mathcal{O}}_C)=k$ and $H^1(C,{\mathcal{O}}_C)\cong H^2({\mathbb{P}}^2,\mathcal{O}(-d))$. ThereforeFor $d=1,2$ this is zero; for a plane cubic it is one. Twisting the same exact sequence gives $\chi (C,{\mathcal{O}}_C(m))=dm+1-g$. These examples illustrate how Čech cohomology, vanishing, Serre duality and exact sequences convert local equations into global numerical invariants.

Choose an ordered affine open cover $\mathcal{U}=(U_i)$ of the separated scheme. For a quasi-coherent sheaf $\mathcal{F}$, the Čech cochain groups and differential areTerms corresponding to empty intersections are zero. Restriction commutes with restriction, so the terms in $d^2$ cancel in pairs. DefineHere an affine cover computes the Čech groups independently of the chosen affine cover. The reason is that finite intersections of affine opens in a separated scheme are affine: the intersection of two is the inverse image of the closed diagonal inside their affine product. Repeating gives the finite-intersection assertion. Quasi-coherent sheaves have no higher cohomology on these intersections. Apply an injective resolution of the sheaf and form the double complex of its Čech cochains. In one direction the higher cohomology vanishes on every affine intersection, leaving precisely the displayed Čech complex. In the other direction the augmented Čech complex of the flasque resolution terms is exact, leaving the global-section resolution computing sheaf cohomology. Thus the two cohomologies agree, and refinement maps between affine-cover complexes induce the same groups. No such affine-intersection claim is being made for arbitrary nonseparated schemes.

For an exact sequence of quasi-coherent sheaves, sections on an affine intersection give an exact sequence of modules, including surjectivity: this follows from the equivalence between quasi-coherent sheaves and modules on an affine scheme. Taking products yields a short exact sequence of Čech cochain complexes. To describe the connecting map, lift a degree-$p$ cocycle in $C^p({\mathcal{F}}^{\prime \prime })$ to a cochain in $C^p(\mathcal{F})$. Its differential maps to zero in $C^{p+1}({\mathcal{F}}^{\prime \prime })$ and therefore is a cocycle in $C^{p+1}({\mathcal{F}}^{\prime })$. Changing the lift adds a coboundary there; changing the original representative does the same. This defines the connecting homomorphism. The same lift-and-differentiate argument shows that a class is in its kernel exactly when it lifts to a cocycle in the middle complex, and verifies exactness at the other terms. Thus the resulting sequence isThe sequence must be in quasi-coherent sheaves for this affine-sections argument; that is the intended category here.

For the punctured affine plane, use $U=D(x)$ and $V=D(y)$. Their rings are $k[x^{\pm 1},y]$ and $k[x,y^{\pm 1}]$, and the intersection ring is $k[x^{\pm 1},y^{\pm 1}]$. The two-open Čech complex isConsequentlyThe denominator contains precisely the span of Laurent monomials for which at least one exponent is nonnegative. Every Laurent polynomial has a unique monomial expansion, so the remaining monomials are linearly independent in the quotient and span it. Thereforea countably infinite-dimensional vector space. The brackets here denote cohomology classes. This calculates the Čech cohomology of the punctured affine plane, rather than merely observing that some nonzero cohomology exists.

Order the index set of the open cover $\mathcal{U}=(U_a)$. The Čech cochain groups areand their differential is the alternating sum of restrictions:Terms obtained by deleting two indices cancel in pairs, so ${\delta }^2=0$. The Čech cohomology is ${\check{H}}^p=\ker \delta /\mathrm{im}\delta$, with zero incoming differential in degree zero. Its zeroth group is the group of global sections by sheaf gluing.

The acyclic cover theorem applies if every nonempty finite intersection is acyclic for $\mathcal{F}$. For a quasi-coherent sheaf on a variety it is sufficient that every such intersection is affine; on a separated variety, any affine open cover has this property. On ${\mathbb{P}}^n$, take the $n+1$ standard charts $U_i=D_{+}(X_i)$. Every intersection is a principal open in an affine chart, hence affine. The Čech complex has no terms above degree $n$, provingThis is the cohomological dimension bound from an affine cover and requires only quasi-coherence, not finite generation.

For the remaining projective calculations assume $n\ge 1$. There is a necessary zero-dimensional exception to the negative-twist assertion: ${\mathbb{P}}^0$ is a point, every twist is trivial there, and $H^0({\mathbb{P}}^0,\mathcal{O}(m))\cong k$ even for $m<0$.

Put $S=k[X_0,\dots ,X_n]$ with its usual grading. The twisting sheaf on projective space is the sheaf associated with the shifted graded module $S(m)$; on an intersection $U_I={\bigcap }_{i\in I}{U}_i$ its sections areOn $U_i$ a generator is $e_i=X_i^m$, with transition $e_j=(X_j/X_i{)}^m{e}_i$. These are regular units on overlaps and satisfy the cocycle relation, so they glue an invertible sheaf for every integer $m$, including negative $m$.

A global section is a compatible family of these homogeneous fractions, hence a single element of degree $m$ in ${\bigcap }_i{S}_{X_i}\subseteq \mathrm{Frac}S$. For $n\ge 1$, $X_0$ and $X_1$ are relatively prime in the unique factorization domain $S$, so $S_{X_0}\cap S_{X_1}=S$; therefore the full intersection is $S$. It follows thatFor $m\ge 0$ its dimension is $\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{n+m}{n}\right)$. The proof uses all-chart compatibility; regularity on one chart alone would permit poles on its complement.

If some $d_i=0$, the ideal $(X_i^{d_i})$ contains $1$, so the requested containment is immediate. Otherwise every $d_i\ge 1$. A monomial $X_0^{a_0}\cdots X_n^{a_n}$ of degree ${\sum }_i{d}_i$ must have $a_i\ge d_i$ for some $i$: if not, its total degree would be at most ${\sum }_i(d_i-1)<{\sum }_i{d}_i$. Thus every degree-${\sum }_i{d}_i$ monomial, and hence every homogeneous polynomial of that degree, belongs to $(X_0^{d_0},\dots ,X_n^{d_n})$. This is monomial containment in an ideal of coordinate powers.

For $n>0$, a top-degree Čech cochain for $\mathcal{O}$ is a degree-zero Laurent polynomial on the full intersection. Write it with a common denominator asThe containment just proved gives $P={\sum }_i{Q}_i{X}_i^{d_i}$, with homogeneous $Q_i$ of degree ${\sum }_j{d}_j-d_i$. ConsequentlyThe $i$th term is regular on the intersection omitting $U_i$, and has degree zero. Give it the sign $(-1{)}^i$ in that component of the preceding Čech cochain. Its coboundary is the original fraction. Every top cochain is thus a coboundary, andThis is top Čech cohomology from missing-denominator monomials.

To obtain the negative-twist bound by induction on dimension, let $H\cong {\mathbb{P}}^{n-1}$ be a hyperplane, with inclusion $j$. Its equation gives the hyperplane exact sequence for twisting sheavesThe associated long exact sequence in sheaf cohomology and sheaf cohomology under a closed inclusion giveFor $n=1$, restriction $H^0({\mathbb{P}}^1,\mathcal{O})\to H^0(H,{\mathcal{O}}_H)$ is the surjection $k\to k$. Exactness and the already proved $H^1({\mathbb{P}}^1,\mathcal{O})=0$ give $H^1({\mathbb{P}}^1,\mathcal{O}(-1))=0$. The displayed surjections then give the same vanishing for every $m\ge 0$. This handles the point hyperplane without making a false negative-twist claim on ${\mathbb{P}}^0$.

For $n\ge 2$, the induction hypothesis in dimension $n-1$ gives $H^{n-1}(H,{\mathcal{O}}_H(m))=0$ whenever $m\ge -(n-1)$. Therefore consecutive top-degree groups are isomorphic for $m\ge 1-n$. Starting with $H^n({\mathbb{P}}^n,\mathcal{O})=0$ and stepping down through $m=0,-1,\dots ,1-n$ reaches $H^n({\mathbb{P}}^n,\mathcal{O}(-n))=0$. Stepping upward proves all positive twists too. We concludeThis is top-twist vanishing by hyperplane induction.

Finally, on $U_0$ write $x_a=X_a/X_0$ and ${\omega }_0=d{x}_1\wedge \cdots \wedge d{x}_n$. On $U_i$, let ${\omega }_i$ be the wedge of $d(X_a/X_i)$ for $a\ne i$, taken in increasing index order. For $i>0$, differentiating $X_0/X_i=x_i^{-1}$ and $X_a/X_i=x_a/x_i$ givesIn the wedge, all terms involving a second copy of $d{x}_i$ disappear; the surviving powers are $x_i^{-2}$ from $d(x_i^{-1})$ and $x_i^{-1}$ from the other $n-1$ differentials. Moving $d{x}_i$ into its original position produces the stated sign. Rescale each local generator by ${\eta }_i=(-1{)}^i{\omega }_i$. Then ${\eta }_j=(X_j/X_i{)}^{-n-1}{\eta }_i$ on every overlap, exactly the transition of the twist with $m=-n-1$. This canonical-form transition on projective space proves the canonical bundle of projective space:For line bundles the Serre duality pairing becomesIn particular $H^n(\mathcal{O}(-r))$ is dual to $H^0(\mathcal{O}(r-n-1))$, which is zero for $r\le n$, precisely the independently obtained bound. The case $r=0$ recovers $H^n(\mathcal{O})=0$, and $H^n(\mathcal{O}(-n-1))\cong k$ matches $H^0(\mathcal{O})\cong k$. Thus the calculated transition functions, global sections and top-degree vanishing agree with Serre duality.

Order the index set of the open cover $\mathcal{U}=(U_i)$. For the sheaf of abelian groups $\mathcal{F}$, the Čech cochain group isIt is a product, not a finite-support sum. The Čech coboundary isEvery term in ${\delta }^{2}c$ occurs twice with opposite signs, so ${\delta }^2=0$. The Čech cohomology of the cover is ${\check{H}}^p(\mathcal{U},\mathcal{F})=\ker \delta /\mathrm{im}\delta$. Refinements induce maps on these groups; different choices of refinement indices give maps related by a cochain homotopy, hence the same map on cohomology. Taking the direct limit over covers givesOne may use locally finite covers, since a complex manifold is a paracompact space and these covers are cofinal. In degree zero this recovers the group of global sections by the sheaf gluing axiom.

The complex tautological line bundle on ${\mathbb{P}}^1$ has fibre at a line $\ell \subseteq {\mathbb{C}}^2$ equal to $\ell$ itself:Define $\mathcal{O}(1)=\mathcal{O}(-1{)}^{\ast }$, $\mathcal{O}(k)=\mathcal{O}(1{)}^{\otimes k}$ for $k>0$, $\mathcal{O}(0)$ to be trivial, and $\mathcal{O}(k)=\mathcal{O}(-1{)}^{\otimes (-k)}$ for $k<0$. These are the tensor powers of the hyperplane line bundle.

On the two given charts, use the holomorphic local frames $e_0(w)=(1,w)$ and $e_1(z)=(z,1)$ of $\mathcal{O}(-1)$. The maps $([1:w],a)\mapsto ([1:w],a(1,w))$ and $([z:1],b)\mapsto ([z:1],b(z,1))$ are its trivializations. On the overlap $z=1/w$,Thus the frame-transition factor from $e_0$ to $e_1$ is $w^{-1}$, while the fibre-coordinate transition from chart 0 to chart 1 is $w$. Specifying both avoids an inverse-convention ambiguity.

For $\mathcal{O}(k)$, let $e_i^{(k)}$ be the induced frames; they satisfy $e_1^{(k)}=w^k{e}_0^{(k)}$. Identifying overlap sections using $e_0^{(k)}$, the Čech cochain groups and Čech coboundary for $k\ge 0$ areHere $\mathcal{O}(\mathbb{C})$ means entire functions in the coordinate of the corresponding chart. Global sections are $\ker \delta$, so $a(w)=w^{k}b(1/w)$, or $b(z)=z^{k}a(1/z)$. Expanding the entire function $a(w)={\sum }_{j\ge 0}{a}_j{w}^j$ shows that $b$ is holomorphic at zero exactly when $a_j=0$ for $j>k$. Thus a global section is determined by a polynomial of degree at most $k$, with basis $1,w,\dots ,w^k$ in the chart-0 frame. Therefore $\boxed{\dim H^0({\mathbb{P}}^1,\mathcal{O}(k))=k+1(k\ge 0)}$.

For the usual additive Čech cohomology groups, $\mathcal{F}$ is understood to be a sheaf of abelian groups. Order the index set of the open cover $\mathfrak{U}=(U_i)$. The Čech cochain group isAn empty intersection contributes the zero group. The Čech coboundary is the alternating sum of restriction maps:Every double omission appears twice with opposite sign, so ${\delta }^2=0$. The Čech cohomology is the cohomology of this cochain complex:Here ${\check{C}}^{-1}=0$. The sheaf gluing axiom identifies ${\check{H}}^0(\mathfrak{U},\mathcal{F})$ with $\Gamma (X,\mathcal{F})$. This definition is for the fixed cover; no limit over refinements is part of the group requested here. Without the abelian-group structure, this additive Čech cochain complex is not defined.

Choose an ordering of the index set $I$. The degree-$q$ Čech cochain group isFor $s=(s_{i_0\cdots i_q})$, the Čech coboundary is the alternating sum of restrictionsThe identity ${\delta }^2=0$ makes this the Čech cochain complex, and the required Čech cohomology is

For an ordered open cover $\mathcal{U}=(U_i)$ and a sheaf of sets $\mathcal{F}$, the Čech cochain group isIts Čech coboundary isTerms in ${\delta }^2$ cancel in pairs. Hence