Locally free twisted sheaves of infinite rank (Q6177369)

Let \(X\) be a scheme, or more generally an algebraic spaces. One than has an inclusion of Brauer groups \(\operatorname{Br}(X)\subset \operatorname{Br}'(X)\), where the first is comprises equivalence classes of Azumaya algebras, and the second is the torsion part of the second étale cohomology with coefficients in \(\mathbb{G}_m\). Grothendieck raised the question when this inclusion is an equality. By a result of Gabber and de Jong, this indeed holds for noetherian schemes admitting an ample sheaf. There are also counterexamples involving non-separatedness, but a clear understanding of the general situation is still missing. Here the authors establish an equality by changing the very notion of Azumaya algebras: Twisted forms of locally free sheaves of infinite rank are allowed. The resulting monoid is called \(\operatorname{LPBr}(X)\), for ``locally projective''. This is no longer torsion, but still sits inside \(H^2(X,\mathbb{G}_m)\). The price to pay, however, is that in general this is is only a submonoid, rather than a subgroup. They achieve surprisingly general results: One has \(\operatorname{LPBr}(X)=H^2(X,\mathbb{G}_m)\) if the algebraic space \(X\) has the resolution property; this carries over for the quotients \(Y=X/G\) by free group actions satisfying certain technical assumptions; it also holds if \(X\) arises from smooth projective schemes over infinite fields by a general identification process. The key idea is an old insight that vector bundles of infinite rank are easier than those of finite rank (``Eilenberg swindle''), as for example in [\textit{H. Bass}, Ill. J. Math. 7, 24--31 (1963; Zbl 0115.26003)]. The authors carefully examine and develop the relevant notions connected to Azumaya algebras of infinite degree, in order to exploit the above principle.