On formal local cohomology and connectedness (Q2460005)

Let \({\mathfrak a}\) be an ideal of a commutative noetherian local ring \((R,{\mathfrak m})\). Also, let \(M\) be a finitely generated \(R\)-module. The paper under review concerns the formal cohomology modules. For each non-negative integer \(i\), the \(i\)th formal cohomology module of \(M\) with respect to \({\mathfrak a}\) is defined as \(\varprojlim_nH_{{\mathfrak m}}^i(M/{\mathfrak a}^n M)\). These modules were first introduced and studied by \textit{C. Peskine} and \textit{L. Szpiro} [Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 42, 47--119 (1973; Zbl 0268.13008)]. Here the author examines the analogue of some important properties of local cohomology modules for the formal cohomology modules. The author shows that \[ \sup\Bigl\{i\in \mathbb{N}_0:\varprojlim_n H_{{\mathfrak m}}^i(M/{\mathfrak a}^n M)\neq 0\Bigr\}=\dim M/{\mathfrak a} M. \] Unlikely, it seems that finding an explicit description for \[ \inf\Bigl\{i\in \mathbb{N}_0:\varprojlim_nH_{{\mathfrak m}}^i(M/{\mathfrak a}^n M)\neq 0\Bigr\} \] is not easy. Following Peskine and Szpiro, the author uses the phrase formal grade for \(\inf\{i\in \mathbb{N}_0:\varprojlim_nH_{{\mathfrak m}}^i(M/{\mathfrak a}^n M)\neq 0\}\) and denotes it by \({\text{fgrade}}({\mathfrak a},M)\). He proves that i) \({\text{fgrade}}({\mathfrak a},M)\leq \dim M-{\text{cd}}({\mathfrak a},M)\), ii) \({\text{fgrade}}({\mathfrak a},M)\leq \dim \widehat{R}/{\mathfrak p}-{\text{cd}}({\mathfrak a}\widehat{R},\widehat{R}/{\mathfrak p})\) for all \({\mathfrak p}\in \text{Ass}_{\widehat{R}}\widehat{M}\); iii) if \(R\) possesses a dualizing complex \(D_R^\cdot\), then \[ {\text{fgrade}}({\mathfrak a},M)=\inf\{i-{\text{cd}}({\mathfrak a},H^{-i}(\Hom_R(M,D_R^\cdot))):i=0,\dots ,\dim M\}, \text{and} \] iv) if \(R\) is Gorenstein, then \({\text{fgrade}}({\mathfrak a},R)=\dim R-{\text{cd}}({\mathfrak a},R)\). (Recall that for an \(R\)-module \(N\), the cohomological dimension of \(N\) with respect to \({\mathfrak a}\) is defined by \({\text{cd}}({\mathfrak a},N):=\sup\{i\in \mathbb{N}_0:H_{{\mathfrak a}}^i(N)\neq 0\}\).) Also, various exact sequences involving formal cohomology modules are constructed. In particular, the author applies an exact sequence of Mayer-Vietoris type for formal cohomology to new connectedness results.