Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2026 / iii / Paper 113 / 3

For an indexed open cover $\mathcal{U}=(U_i{)}_{i\in I}$ and a sheaf $\mathcal{F}$, the Čech cohomology cochain groups areThe differential is the alternating sum of restrictions:Since $d^2=0$, the cohomologyis well defined.

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Write $A=k[x,y]$ and $\mathfrak{m}=(x,y)$. Since $f(0,0)\ne 0$, the principal open subscheme $D(f)=\mathrm{Spec}{A}_f$ contains $\mathfrak{m}$, andCover $V$ by the two affine opens $D(xf)$ and $D(yf)$, whose intersection is $D(xyf)$. The degree-zero part of the resulting Čech cohomology complex givesinside the fraction field of $A$. The last equality follows because $A_f$ is a unique factorization domain and a rational function regular after localizing at both $x$ and $y$ has no possible prime factor left in its denominator.

The same affine cover is acyclic, so its degree-one Čech group computes sheaf cohomology and givesBefore localizing at $f$, the quotienthas the $k$-basisWriting $f=c+h$ with $c=f(0,0)\in k^{\times }$ and $h\in (x,y)$, multiplication by $h$ is locally nilpotent on $Q$: for each negative monomial, a sufficiently high power of $(x,y)$ moves every term into $A_x+A_y$. Hence $c+h$ acts invertibly on $Q$ by a finite geometric series on each element. Localizing at $f$ therefore leaves $Q$ unchanged, andThe displayed infinite basis proves that this vector space is infinite-dimensional.

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For the cover $\mathcal{U}=\{X_1,X_2\}$ of the affine plane with doubled origin, the overlap is the punctured affine plane $U$. Since $H^0(U,{\mathcal{O}}_U)=k[x,y]$, the Čech complex beginsThis map is surjective, and the normalized complex has no terms in degrees at least two. Consequently

The Mayer-Vietoris sequence for sheaf cohomology also gives $H^1(Y,{\mathcal{O}}_Y)=0$, but its next part givesPart b with $f=1$ shows that the group on the right is infinite-dimensional. Thus

This does not contradict the acyclic cover theorem. Although $X_1$ and $X_2$ are affine, their intersection $U$ is not acyclic: it has nonzero first structure-sheaf cohomology. Equivalently, this affine cover does not satisfy the theorem's hypotheses; the doubled-origin plane is not a semi-separated scheme.

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