A cohomological classification of vector bundles on smooth affine threefolds (Q480948)

\noindent The main results of the paper is the following classification theorem: {Theorem 1}. Suppose that \(X\) is a smooth affine 3-fold over an algebraically closed field \(k\) having characteristic unequal to \(2.\) The map assigning to a rank \(2\) vector bundle \(\mathcal E\) on \(X\) the pair \((c_{1}(\mathcal E), c_{2}(\mathcal E))\) of Chern classes gives a pointed bijection \[ {\mathcal V}_{2} \rightarrow {\text{ Pic}}(X) \times {\text{CH}}^2(X). \] As a consequence the authors derive the cancellation law for vector bundles of rank \(2\) on \(X\) i.e. if \({\mathcal E}_{1}, {\mathcal E}_{2} \in {\mathcal V}_{2}(X)\) satisfy \({\mathcal E}_{1}\oplus {\mathcal E} \cong {\mathcal E}_{2}\oplus {\mathcal E},\) then \({\mathcal E}_{1}\cong {\mathcal E}_{2}.\) The techniques for the proof include the methods of obstruction theory for describing the set of \({\mathbb A}^{1}\)-homotopy classes of maps to the corresponding Grassmannian. For the result it is enough to describe the first ``nonstable'' \(\mathbb A^{1}\)-homotopy sheaf of the symplectic group. Then the authors use the F. Morel's \(\mathbb A^{1}\)-homotopy classification of vector bundles to reduce the result to cohomology vanishing statements. Finally they prove the required vanishing statements.