Direct image functor

Let f: X → Y be a continuous mapping of topological spaces, and Sh(–) denote the category of sheaves of abelian groups on a topological space. The direct image functor

${\displaystyle f_{*}:\operatorname {Sh} (X)\to \operatorname {Sh} (Y)}$

sends a sheaf F on X to its direct image presheaf, which is defined on open subsets U of Y by

${\displaystyle f_{*}F(U):=F(f^{-1}(U)),}$

which turns out to be a sheaf on Y, also called the pushforward sheaf.

This assignment is functorial, i.e. a morphism of sheaves φ: F → G on X gives rise to a morphism of sheaves f_∗(φ): f_∗(F) → f_∗(G) on Y.

The direct image functor is left exact, but usually not right exact. Hence one can consider the right derived functors of the direct image. They are called higher direct images and denoted R^q f_∗.

One can show that there is a similar expression as above for higher direct images: for a sheaf F on X, R^q f_∗(F) is the sheaf associated to the presheaf

${\displaystyle U\mapsto H^{q}(f^{-1}(U),F).}$

• The direct image functor is right adjoint to the inverse image functor, which means that for any continuous ${\displaystyle f:X\to Y}$ and sheaves ${\displaystyle {\mathcal {F}},{\mathcal {G}}}$ respectively on X, Y, there is a natural isomorphism:

${\displaystyle \mathrm {Hom} _{\mathbf {Sh} (X)}(f^{-1}{\mathcal {G}},{\mathcal {F}})=\mathrm {Hom} _{\mathbf {Sh} (Y)}({\mathcal {G}},f_{*}{\mathcal {F}})}$.

• If f is the inclusion of a closed subspace X ⊆ Y then f_∗ is exact. Actually, in this case f_∗ is an equivalence between sheaves on X and sheaves on Y supported on X. It follows from the fact that the stalk of ${\displaystyle (f_{*}{\mathcal {F}})_{y}}$ is ${\displaystyle {\mathcal {F}}_{y}}$ if ${\displaystyle y\in X}$ and zero otherwise (here the closedness of X in Y is used).

• Proper base change theorem

• Iversen, Birger (1986), Cohomology of sheaves, Universitext, Berlin, New York: Springer-Verlag, ISBN 978-3-540-16389-3, MR 0842190, esp. section II.4

This article incorporates material from Direct image (functor) on PlanetMath, which is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.