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The equivalence class of an algebraic cycle modulo rational equivalence. The Chow group consists of these classes with addition induced by adding cycles.

For a smooth complex projective algebraic variety, the cycle class map sends an algebraic cycle of codimension $r$ to the Poincare dual of its homology class. Rational equivalence gives the same cohomology class, so the map descends to the Chow group. It respects intersection products, pullback and proper pushforward; a cohomological obstruction therefore obstructs the corresponding proposed identity of Chow classes.

At the generic point ${\eta }_V$ of $V$, the local ring $R={\mathcal{O}}_{W,{\eta }_V}$ is a one-dimensional Noetherian local domain. Write $r=a/b$ with nonzero $a,b\in R$ and define the order of vanishingThis is independent of the representation. The associated principal $k$-cycle iswhere only finitely many terms are nonzero.

The subgroup ${\mathrm{Rat}}_k(X)\subseteq Z_k(X)$ is generated by these cycles as $W$ ranges over integral $(k+1)$-dimensional subvarieties and $r$ over $R(W{)}^{\times }$. Two $k$-cycles are rationally equivalent when their difference lies in this subgroup, and the Chow group is