Closedness of the singular locus and generation for derived categories (Q6924769)

Given a smooth and projective variety \(X\), its bounded derived category of coherent sheaves \(\mathcal{D}^b(X)\) is an important object of study in modern algebraic geometry. Its objects are chain complexes of coherent sheaves and its morphisms are roughly morphisms of chain complexes with quasi-isomorphisms formally inverted. For more on this, see [\textit{D. Huybrechts}, Fourier-Mukai transforms in algebraic geometry. Oxford: Clarendon Press (2006; Zbl 1095.14002)].\N\NFrom \(\mathcal{D}^b(X)\), one can extract various classical invariants including algebraic K-theory, topological K-theory when \(X\) is defined over the complex numbers, and sums of hodge numbers. One of the important properties of a smooth and projective variety is the classical \textit{Hilbert syzygy theorem}, which states that every coherent sheaf has a resolution by locally free sheaves of length bounded by \(\dim X\). Consequently, objects \(\mathcal{D}^b(X)\) can be equivalently represented by chain complexes of locally free sheaves.\N\NWhen \(X\) is a possibly-singular Noetherian scheme, \(\mathcal{D}^b(X)\) can be defined analogously, but it lacks some of the properties of the non-singular case. For example, not all objects are isomorphic to complexes of locally free sheaves. Thus, in this context one often studies \(\mathrm{Perf}(X)\), the full subcategory of \(\mathcal{D}^b(X)\) consisting of objects locally quasi-isomorphic to a complex of locally free sheaves. \(\mathrm{Perf}(X)\) can be regarded as the ``nonsingular part'' of \(\mathcal{D}^b(X)\), a viewpoint supported by the well-known result that a Noetherian scheme \(X\) is regular if and only if \(\mathrm{Perf}(X) = \mathcal{D}^b(X)\). Thus, one defines the category of singularities of \(X\) to be the Verdier-Drinfeld quotient \(\mathcal{D}_{\mathrm{sg}}(X) = \mathcal{D}^b(X)/\mathrm{Perf}(X)\).\N\NOn the other hand, it is often of interest to study generation of derived categories. A \emph{(classical) generator} of \(\mathcal{D}^b(X)\) is an object \(G\) such that the smallest full triangulated subcategory of \(\mathcal{D}^b(X)\) containing \(G\) is \(\mathcal{D}^b(X)\). Classical generators and their strong counterparts were notably studied by Rouquier to introduce a notion of dimension for triangulated categories [\textit{R. Rouquier}, Journal of K-theory 1, No. 2, 193--256 (2008; Zbl 1165.18008)].\N\NIn the present work, the authors consider the problem of identifying when \(\mathcal{D}^b(X)\) admits a classical generator when \(X\) is a Noetherian scheme. \(X\) is called \(J_0\) if its regular locus contains a non-empty open set \(U\) and it is called \(J_1\) if its regular locus is a non-empty open set.\N\NThe main result of the paper is restated here for convenience. The following are equivalent for a Noetherian scheme \(X\):\N\begin{itemize}\N\item[1.] Every closed integral subscheme of \(X\) is \(J_0\).\N\item[2.] Every closed integral subscheme of \(X\) is \(J_1\).\N\item[3.] \(\mathcal{D}^b(Z)\) admits a classical generator for every closed integral subscheme \(Z\) of \(X\).\N\item[4.] \(\mathcal{D}_{\mathrm{sg}}(Z)\) admits a classical generator for every closed integral subscheme \(Z\) of \(X\).\N\item[5.] \(\mathrm{coh}\:Z\) admits a classical generator for every closed integral subscheme \(Z\) of \(X\).\N\end{itemize}\NFurthermore, subject to any of these equivalent conditions, for \textit{any} closed subscheme \(Y\) of \(X\) both \(\mathcal{D}^b(Y)\) and \(\mathcal{D}_{\mathrm{sg}}(Y)\) admit classical generators.