On coherent Hermitian Witt groups (Q2376349)

The author has previously introduced and studied coherent hermitian Witt groups of coherent algebras with involution over a noetherian scheme with dualizing complex [Compos. Math. 143, No. 2, 271--289 (2007; Zbl 1228.11054); J. K-Theory 4, No. 2, 347--377 (2009; Zbl 1243.11055)]. In the current article, he proves several further fundamental properties of coherent hermitian Witt groups. He proves an excision property (Theorem 4.3) and deduces a Mayer-Vietoris exact sequence when \(X=U\cup V\) is the union of two open subschemes. He proves a homotopy invariance property in the case of an Azumaya algebra with involution of the first kind over \(X=\mathrm{Spec}(R)\) where \(R\) is a Gorenstein ring of finite Krull dimension. In section 6, he proves an improved zero theorem for the transfer map of hermitian Witt groups and uses this to correct an incomplete proof of a key lemma in a previous article [Zbl 1228.11054, Lemma 7.3]. In the final section, he applies these results to prove the Gersten conjecture for the hermitian Gersten-Witt complexes of free coherent algebras with involution of the first kind over regular local rings containing a field.