Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 14 1 Solution 2026-10-14
Let be open subsets, and let . The assumed flasque-kernel section-lifting lemma lifts to . Since is a flabby sheaf, extend to a section on , then project to . Its restriction is . Thus every restriction map of is surjective, proving that the quotient of two flabby sheaves in a short exact sequence is flabby.
For the construction of sheaf cohomology, embed a sheaf of abelian groups into the sheafby sending a section to all its germs. This is injective because a section with every germ zero is zero. Arbitrary families of stalk elements glue point by point, and restriction maps are projections; hence is a flabby sheaf. Set , and . Compose the quotient map with the next embedding to obtain the flasque resolutionThe sheaf cohomology groups are the cohomology groups of the resulting cochain complex of global sections:The usual comparison of resolutions identifies this construction with the right derived functors of global sections; the construction above is the Godement resolution.
If is itself a flabby sheaf, the quotient argument shows inductively that every is flabby. The assumed lifting result therefore makesan exact sequence for every . The global-section complex is consequently exact in every positive degree. In particular,This establishes the vanishing from the section-lifting property rather than assuming it in advance.
For the smooth algebraic curve , a divisor on an algebraic curve is a finite formal sum of closed points with integer coefficients. At each closed point, the local ring of a smooth algebraic curve is a discrete valuation ring; write its normalized discrete valuation as . For the principal divisor is . Only finitely many coefficients are nonzero: zeros and poles are proper closed subsets in the Noetherian Zariski topology of a curve. The divisor class group is the abelian groupEquivalently, its elements are divisors on an algebraic curve modulo linear equivalence of divisors.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2005 iii Paper 15 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
The exterior derivative is an -linear operator which agrees with the differential of a smooth function on degree zero, satisfies , and obeys the graded Leibniz rule
For the uniqueness of the exterior derivative from its axioms, first note that these axioms force locality. If vanishes near , choose a smooth bump function equal to one near and supported where . Then gives . Thus depends only on the form near .
In a coordinate chart write . Since , the axioms forceThis also proves existence. Define by that formula in each chart. The product rule for partial derivatives gives the graded Leibniz rule, and symmetry of mixed partial derivatives against antisymmetry of the wedge product of differential forms gives . On overlaps it still agrees with the differential of every function, by the chain rule, so the preceding uniqueness argument in the second coordinate system makes the formulas agree. They therefore glue to a global exterior derivative.
For a differential one-form , the exterior derivative of a one-form evaluated on vector fields follows directly:In , the additional terms are , where the bracket is the Lie bracket of vector fields. Hence
The de Rham cohomology iswith zero denominator in degree zero. The Poincaré lemma states that a closed differential form of positive degree on a star-shaped open subset of Euclidean space is an exact differential form; consequently every closed positive-degree form is locally exact on a smooth manifold.
For the suspension isomorphism for top de Rham cohomology of spheres, put and . Both are diffeomorphic to , while deformation retracts onto the equatorial . The Mayer--Vietoris sequence for de Rham cohomology comes from the short exact sequence of cochain complexesThe final map is surjective: a partition of unity lets a form on be lifted by extending to and to by zero. The Poincaré lemma makes vanish when . Exactness givesIf is the equatorial inclusion, homotopy invariance of de Rham cohomology makes an isomorphism. Thereforeis injective, indeed an isomorphism. Concretely, choose local primitives , , and send to . Their difference is closed; changing either primitive changes it by an exact form, so this agrees with the cohomological construction.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 iii Paper 16 4 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Use the short exact sequence of coefficient groupsThe groups of singular chains are free, so applying the cochain construction gives a short exact sequence of cochain complexes. Its long exact sequence in cohomology has the required terms and reduction map . Define the Bockstein homomorphism to be its connecting homomorphism.
Explicitly, represent by a mod- cocycle and lift it to an integral singular cochain . Since is a cocycle, is divisible by . ThenThis is exactly the lift-and-coboundary construction for the coefficient sequence above: the mod- coboundary of lies in the image of . The quotient cochain is a cocycle, since and integral cochains have no -torsion. Replacing by another lift adds and changes the quotient by modulo ; replacing the representative by a coboundary likewise leaves its cohomology class unchanged. Thus the definition is independent of choices.
A degree-zero cocycle is a function on points constant on each path component. Choose an integer representative for its value on each component. This produces an integral zero-cocycle lift, with zero coboundary. Hence the Bockstein vanishes on for every space.
For a nonzero example in every positive degree , take the Moore space , attaching the cell by a map of mapping degree . Its positive-degree integral cellular cochain complex has the differential from degree to ; when , the preceding differential from degree zero is zero. Modulo the displayed differential vanishes, and . Lift the degree- generator to the cellular cochain with value one. Its coboundary has value , so dividing by gives the generator in degree . Naturality of cellular and singular cohomology with coefficient sequences identifies this with the Bockstein on a cyclic Moore space. Therefore is nonzero, indeed an isomorphism, in the requested degree for every prime .
Finally take integral lifts of cocycles representing and . Write and . The cochain cup product obeys the graded Leibniz identity, soDivide by , reduce modulo and pass to cohomology. This proves the Bockstein derivation rule
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2010 iii Paper 3 6 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Write for the cohomological indexing of the right derived functor. For the contravariant construction, assume is additive and left exact, so an exact sequence gives . Module categories have enough projective modules: a free module on a generating set surjects onto any module, and repeating the construction on its kernel produces a projective resolutionContravariance turns it into the cochain complexThe composite of consecutive differentials is zero because is additive and reverses composition. Applying left exactness to gives , so .
Here are the comparison and exactness arguments behind this construction. A map lifts to a chain map between projective resolutions. In degree zero, lift through the surjection by projectivity of . Inductively, the required composite from lands in the cycle module of the target resolution, which is the image of by exactness, so projectivity supplies the next lift. Two such lifts are chain homotopic. Their difference in degree zero lands in , so it lifts to a homotopy map . Subtracting the corresponding homotopy term in degree one gives another map into the next cycle module; continue inductively. Applying additive contravariant turns this chain homotopy into a cochain homotopy, so the maps on cohomology agree. Applying this to lifts of identity maps between two resolutions gives mutually inverse maps on cohomology. Thus the contravariant right derived functor is well-defined, contravariant and natural in .
For , construct compatible projective resolutions by the horseshoe lemma. Its construction is elementary: lift the projective cover of into and add the projective cover of ; their sum surjects onto . The kernels fit into a new short exact sequence of the corresponding kernels, so repeat at each degree. This gives a degreewise split sequenceAn additive contravariant functor takes split sequences to split sequences with their arrows reversed. The resulting short exact sequence of cochain complexes givesThe connecting map is obtained by lifting a cocycle from the quotient complex, taking its differential, and viewing the result in the subcomplex; changing a lift changes the result by a coboundary. This construction proves both exactness and naturality of the long exact sequence.
Positive derived functors vanish on projective modules, since such a module has a resolution concentrated in degree zero. For with projective, the preceding sequence gives for . This is dimension shifting. If is exact, all positive derived functors vanish because applying preserves exactness of the resolution. A natural transformation of additive left-exact contravariant functors induces natural transformations of their derived functors by applying it degreewise. These derived functors form the universal contravariant cohomological delta functor: successive projective surjections, on which the positive functors vanish, and the connecting maps determine any extension of a degree-zero natural transformation uniquely.
The displayed example in the PDF has a genuine variance mismatch. The functor is covariant in , not contravariant. For a map , its induced map sends to , in the same direction. We compute that displayed example with its correct variance, and then explain the contravariant variant.
For an additive covariant left-exact functor, use an injective resolution instead of a projective resolution, and set . Such resolutions exist for arbitrary modules. In fact , with , is injective: the adjunctionsends a map to its value at , and has inverse . Extension on the right was proved in Question 5, so it gives extension on the left. Products of injective modules are injective by extending every component separately. The mapis -linear and injective, because a nonzero is detected by some character at . Applying the same embedding to successive cokernels produces the stated injective resolution. Its comparison and homotopy arguments are dual to the projective ones, and covariant derived functors have the long exact sequence in the original order of .
Let . Evaluation at identifiesa naturally defined -module. It is left exact: a compatible element in the kernel of is exactly an element of killed by .
Because is a non-zero-divisor on , multiplication by is surjective on every injective module . Indeed, for , the map given by is well-defined and -linear. It extends to , and if the extension takes to , then . Thus for an injective resolution we have a short exact sequence of cochain complexesThe cohomology of is in degree zero and zero in higher degrees. Its long exact sequence therefore givesConsequently the Ext from a principal non-zero-divisor quotient computation isAll these groups are naturally -modules. Equivalently they are ; the two-term free resolution gives the same kernel and cokernel after applying .
If one instead wants a genuinely contravariant example, take . Then , obtained by resolving the variable . There is no claim of vanishing above degree one for arbitrary . At , the same two-term resolution has zero differential after applying , and gives , , and zero higher groups. This keeps the printed covariant calculation distinct from the general contravariant construction.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 12 1 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Unless a coefficient group is displayed, use integral singular cohomology. The standard CW complex structure on infinite-dimensional real projective space has one cell in each nonnegative dimension. Its cellular chain complex has boundary for positive even and for odd . The cellular cohomology differential is therefore zero for even and multiplication by two for odd . ConsequentlyMore generally, for an abelian group , the positive odd groups are and the positive even groups are . In particular in every nonnegative degree.
For the required Bockstein homomorphism, use the short exact sequenceHere ; for all three coefficient groups are zero. Since singular chains are free abelian groups, applying cochains gives a short exact sequence of cochain complexes. Its connecting homomorphism defines and its long exact sequence is precisely the required one, with the other maps induced by and .
Explicitly, represent a class by a cocycle and choose a lift . Since , there is a unique cochain with . Injectivity of and show . DefineChanging the lift by changes by the coboundary . Changing the representative by a coboundary can be lifted by a coboundary as well and leaves the resulting class unchanged. Thus this is a well-defined group homomorphism, and the standard cochain lifting argument gives exactness.
Compute the Bockstein homomorphism on infinite-dimensional real projective space using its cellular cohomology complex. A generator with coefficients is represented by in degree , lifted to . Its coboundary is for even and for odd . Dividing via givesThus the odd-degree maps are isomorphisms. The comparison between cellular cohomology and singular cohomology is natural with respect to coefficient maps, so this computes the same connecting homomorphism constructed above.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 12 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
Define compactly supported cohomology byFor , the transition map is induced by the identity map of pairs . Equivalently, take the cochain complex of singular cochains that vanish on every chain contained in the complement of some compact set. Directed unions are exact, giving the same definition.
For , the intervals , , are cofinal among compact subsets. The complement has two contractible components. The long exact sequence in relative cohomology contains the diagonal map , so its cokernel is , and all the other relative groups vanish. Enlarging the interval preserves the generator given by the difference of the two ends. Therefore
For the compact-support comparison with a one-point compactification, write . The assumed Hausdorff one-point compactification is compact; a compact subset is closed in . The Excision theorem removes from the pair , because its closure lies inside the open second member. ThusComplements of compact subsets of are exactly the open neighbourhoods of in . The hypothesis supplies a cofinal family of contractible such neighbourhoods . For every one, the long exact sequence of the pair identifiesIn degree zero, this is the kernel of evaluation on the component of , identified with reduced cohomology by subtracting the constant value there. In degree one the map is surjective; in higher degrees the positive cohomology of vanishes. These identifications are natural for inclusions of contractible neighbourhoods. Passing to the direct limit proves
For the specified disjoint union of lines, a compact subset meets only finitely many components and is bounded in each. Finite unions , with finite, are cofinal. Applying the preceding relative calculation componentwise givesThe one-point compactification of this space is the Hawaiian earring: each line becomes a circle by adding the common point , and every neighbourhood of contains all but finitely many whole circles. On the remaining finitely many circles it contains neighbourhoods of the common point. This describes exactly the shrinking-circle topology. In particular is not locally contractible at : every such neighbourhood contains a whole circle, whose generator remains nontrivial under the retraction that collapses all the other circles.
For integral singular cohomology, the comparison does not hold. Here is a degree-two obstruction that takes account of the shrinking-circle topology. The standard rational summand in Hawaiian earring homology theorem gives a direct summand in . The universal coefficient theorem for cohomology injectsThe summand therefore contributes the nonzero Ext of the rationals with integer coefficients.
For completeness, this last algebraic assertion has an explicit proof. Present using generators and relations , . The corresponding free resolution shows that is the cokernel ofThe constant sequence is not in the image. Otherwise iteration would giveFor large , the factorial sum exceeds but is less than , making that congruence impossible. Thus the cokernel is nonzero. It follows thatwhich proves the failure of the claimed isomorphism. The ingredient concerning the Hawaiian earring is its singular-homology structure theorem, not the homology of an infinite CW complex wedge of circles; these topologies differ.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 4 2 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
For central , define the Koszul complex on central ring elements using formal exterior symbols:with zero terms outside and differentialThe terms are free bimodules with the formal symbols commuting with coefficients. Centrality makes a bimodule map, and the terms in cancel in pairs because the commute. This defines the Koszul complex over a possibly noncommutative ring without using an undefined exterior algebra of arbitrary one-sided modules. In particular is a well-defined chain complex of left modules.
A regular sequence on a module means that multiplication by is injective on for each , usually with the additional convention that the final quotient is nonzero. The homology vanishing below uses only the injectivity conditions. For one element, the chain complex is , with zero first homology and zeroth homology .
For the induction let . Adjoining the last generator identifies the new Koszul complex with the mapping cone of multiplication by on . In the convention its differential is ; the identification is . The long exact sequence in homology of this mapping cone givesThe induction hypothesis is for and . Regularity makes injective. Hence the new positive homology is zero and its zeroth homology is . The augmentation to this quotient induces these homology isomorphisms, giving the quasi-isomorphismwhere the right side is placed in degree zero. The results used are the long exact sequence in homology of a degreewise short exact sequence of complexes and its mapping cone form, together with the stated induction; no unmentioned acyclicity criterion is needed.
For , is a regular sequence: is a non-zero-divisor in , and multiplication by is injective in , even when is composite. The Koszul resolution of isWith and acting as zero, applying the Hom functor gives the cochain complexThus, more generally, the Ext groups between polynomial-ring residue modules areand vanish in all degrees above two. For the equal-modulus case,These are -modules through and reduction modulo . If the multiplicative self-Ext functor is desired, the Koszul self-Ext algebra is the exterior algebra on two degree-one generators over . The two contractions on the Koszul resolution lift these classes, square to zero and anticommute, so this description also holds for composite and characteristic two. For coprime , multiplication by is invertible on , so both its kernel and cokernel vanish:
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2015 iii Paper 4 3 Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
For a cohomological spectral sequence, and the next page is its cohomology. In the bounded setting, convergence of a spectral sequence to means that each has a finite decreasing, exhaustive and separated filtration withHere is the eventual stable value. This determines the associated graded module of , rather than automatically a canonical direct-sum decomposition of . For unbounded filtrations additional completeness/convergence conditions are necessary; boundedness removes those issues here.
The bounded filtered-complex convergence theorem states the following. If is a decreasing filtration by cochain subcomplexes, preserved by the differential, finite in each cochain degree (uniform bounds , are sufficient), then there is a spectral sequenceThe abutment filtration is . Its finite length ensures stabilization and the displayed limiting-page identification. The filtered cochain complex need not itself be bounded in cochain degree. In the degreewise finite version, the bounds in degrees suffice to stabilize the terms of total degree .
For a double cochain complex bounded in both indices, form the total cochain complex with anticommuting differentials and total differential . If the original differentials commute, inserting the usual sign in one of them gives this convention. Filtering by the first index gives and then . Filtering by the second index gives the spectral sequence taking horizontal cohomology first and vertical cohomology next. Both filtrations are finite, so both converge to . This is the two spectral sequences of a bounded double complex construction.
The printed left/left tensor expression needs a handedness repair. Over an arbitrary ring, a tensor product of modules over pairs a right module with a left module. To retain the order of the printed formula, take to be a bounded cochain complex of projective right -modules and a left -module. Alternatively, keep left, take right, and write and . For a commutative ring no repair is needed. We prove the first, correctly typed formulation.
Finite projective dimension gives a finite projective resolution by left modules. Form for . On take and . These anticommute, and the double cochain complex is bounded in both directions. Projective modules are flat modules, so taking vertical cohomology first givesThe first identification uses flatness of ; the second is the Tor functor computed by resolving its left-module argument . Balancedness of the Tor functor allows either correctly sided projective resolution to compute it, by the double-resolution argument.
Taking horizontal cohomology first instead uses flatness of . The resolution then leaves only in column . Its remaining differential is , so the augmentation is a quasi-isomorphism. Apply the convergence theorem to this underlying abelian-group double complex. The two spectral sequences therefore prove the Künneth spectral sequence:These are abelian groups in general; an extra module structure requires appropriate bimodule hypotheses. The index is nonpositive, so is the nonnegative homological index of the Tor functor.
Finally write the cycle modules as and the boundary modules as . If every boundary module is projective, the short exact sequence splits. Thus is projective. The short exact sequence is now a length-one projective resolution, so for . The page occupies only columns . Every for goes columns to the right, hence has zero source or zero target. ThereforeThis two-column degeneration of a Künneth spectral sequence gives the edge short exact sequencesDegeneration itself does not supply a canonical splitting. Projective boundaries also do not force to be projective: a complex with differential multiplication by over has projective boundary but a cohomology group.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 iii Paper 114 1 d Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
For any finite-dimensional bounded cochain complex over a field, let , with zero ranks outside its degree range. ThenTaking the alternating sum cancels the two rank sums. Thus taking cohomology preserves the Euler characteristic of a finite graded complex. Apply this to and , using part (b).
A closed three-dimensional manifold has finite-dimensional cohomology, vanishing above degree three. Its Euler characteristic is zero, even when it is not orientable: Poincare duality with coefficients gives , so the alternating sum vanishes. A finite triangulation, or finite CW complex model, shows that the alternating sum is the same integer with coefficients in any field, since it equals the alternating count of cells. ThereforeThe primeness assumption makes a field; no orientation assumption on is needed.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 113 3 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
First consider the preliminary cohomological facts. The exam's term flabby means flasque sheaf: every restriction map is surjective. For open sets , lift a section of to using the given surjectivity when is flasque. Extend that lift to using the flasque sheaf , then project to . This proves that is a flasque sheaf.
One construction of a flasque resolution starts with the sheaf , with pointwise restriction. It is a sheaf of abelian groups with surjective restrictions, and sending a section to all its germs embeds in it. Repeating on the cokernels constructs an exact sequencewith each flasque. Define sheaf cohomology by the cohomology of the cochain complex of global sections of such a resolution; the groups are independent of the chosen flasque resolution. If is itself flasque, the quotient result just proved makes every successive cokernel flasque. Applying the assumed surjectivity of sections to each successive short exact sequence of sheaves proves exactness of the global-section complex in positive degrees. Thus for .
Now let be the function field of the smooth algebraic curve. Its divisor class group isHere is the discrete valuation of the discrete valuation ring , and consists of the principal divisor elements . These sums have finite support: on a finite affine cover, represent as a fraction of regular functions; each nonzero numerator or denominator has only finitely many zeros on a curve, since a proper closed subset of a Noetherian one-dimensional irreducible space is finite.
For a divisor on an algebraic curve , define the line bundle associated to a divisor byIn this expression the valuation condition applies to nonzero . If is a uniformizer, the stalk is . Shrinking around removes all other zeros and poles of and all other points in the support of , so this also gives an actual local generator. Thus is a locally free sheaf of rank one. Multiplication gives an isomorphismon every stalk. If , then , so the construction factors through a homomorphism .
It is injective: if is trivial, an isomorphism from supplies a nonzero global rational generator . At each closed point, generates , giving , hence .
It is surjective: take a line bundle and a nonzero rational section , obtained by choosing a frame on any nonempty trivializing open set. If is a local frame, write with . Since changes of frame are units, is independent of the frame near . A finite trivializing cover shows that these numbers have finite support. Set . The map gives , because at the condition is exactly regularity of . Replacing by changes by , so this construction is well defined on classes. This proves the divisor class group and Picard group of a smooth curve identification
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 118 2 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
Choose a flasque resolution of the sheaf of abelian groups ,A flasque sheaf has surjective restriction maps; such resolutions exist for every sheaf of abelian groups. Apply the global section functor to obtain a cochain complex. The sheaf cohomology groups areFor , the denominator is zero and . Different resolutions give canonically isomorphic groups; the resolution principle for sheaf cohomology is what permits other acyclic resolutions to compute these same groups.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 iii Paper 151 1 Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-03
Let be a projective resolution of the trivial -module. The projective-resolution definition of group cohomology isThis is independent, up to a natural isomorphism, of the chosen projective resolution.
The degreewise natural isomorphismscommute with the coboundary maps. Taking cohomology proves that group cohomology commutes with finite direct sums:
Now restrict from to a subgroup . The group ring is free as a -module, so restriction carries free modules to free modules and projective modules to projective modules. Thus the restricted complex is a projective resolution of the trivial -module. For the coinduced module , the Hom functor adjunction for a coinduced module gives an isomorphism of cochain complexesExplicitly, a map is sent to ; the inverse sends a -linear map to . Taking cohomology proves Shapiro's lemma:
For the conjugation module of a group ring , the basis is the disjoint union of its conjugacy classes. Hence is the direct sum of the integral permutation modules on those classes. The class of a representative is the transitive -set , where is its centralizer. Since is finite, this permutation module is both induced and coinduced from the trivial -module . Applying group cohomology commutes with finite direct sums and Shapiro's lemma yields the group cohomology of a conjugation module:
The symmetric group has three conjugacy classes, represented by the identity, a transposition, and a three-cycle. Their centralizers are respectivelyFor any finite group acting trivially on ,because a group homomorphism sends an element of finite order to an element of finite order, while the additive group of the integers contains no nonzero torsion elements. ThereforeThe periodic resolution of a finite cyclic group alternates the maps and . After applying with the trivial action, these become alternately zero and multiplication by , provingCombining this calculation with the supplied gives
Quasi-isomorphism 2026-10-06
A chain map inducing isomorphisms on all homology groups. The same definition applies to a map of cochain complexes using cohomology groups. A quasi-isomorphism need not be an isomorphism in each degree.
Resolution principle for sheaf cohomology 2026-10-05
If is an exact sequence of sheaves of abelian groups on and for every and , then sheaf cohomology is computed by the cochain complex of global sections:In particular a flasque resolution computes sheaf cohomology. Acyclicity is required on the space on which cohomology is being computed.
Short exact sequence of cochain complexes 2026-10-06
A degreewise short exact sequence of cochain complexes induces a long exact sequence from a coefficient sequence in the coefficient case, and a long exact cohomology sequence generally. Its degree-one connecting homomorphism lifts a quotient cocycle, takes its coboundary, and identifies that result in the subcomplex.
Singular cochain Created 2026-10-06 Updated 2026-10-14
A singular -cochain with coefficients in an abelian group is a homomorphism from the singular chain group to . It is specified by its values on all singular simplices, without a finite-support restriction. Its coboundary evaluates on the alternating sum of the faces. The resulting cochain complex computes singular cohomology.
Singular cohomology Created 2026-10-06 Updated 2026-10-14
For a topological space and abelian group , singular cohomology is the cohomology of the cochain complex , where is the singular chain group. Its differential is dual to the singular boundary. This theory has relative cohomology, long exact sequences and the Excision theorem. On spaces that are not locally contractible it can differ from Čech cohomology.