Étale dévissage, descent and pushouts of stacks (Q716458)

Let \(j': U'\rightarrow X'\) be an open immersion of algebraic stacks, and let \(f_U: U'\rightarrow U\) be an étale morphism. One of the results proven in the article is that the pushout \(X\) of \(j'\) and \(f_U\) exists in the category of algebraic stacks, and in the category of algebraic spaces. Moreover, the resulting diagram \[ \begin{tikzcd} U^\prime \rar["j^\prime"]\dar["f_U" '] & X^\prime\dar["f"]\\ U \rar["j" '] & X \end{tikzcd} \] is a Cartesian diagram, the map \(j\) is an open immersion, and the map \(f\) is étale and induces an isomorphism over the closed set \(X\setminus U\). An étale morphism \(f: X' \rightarrow X\) that induces an isomorphism over a closed subset \(Z \subseteq X\) is called an étale neighborhood of \(Z\). Moreover, if one has a Cartesian diagram as above, with \(j\) an open immersion and \(f\) an étale neighborhood of \(X\setminus U\), then \(X\) is the pushout of \(j'\) and \(f_U\). The author establishes several other properties for these pushouts, in particular that if \({\mathbf F}: \mathbf{Stack}^{\mathrm{op}}_{\text{ét}/X} \rightarrow \textbf{Cat}\) is a 2-sheaf then there is a natural equivalence between the categories \(\mathbf F(X)\) and \(\mathbf F(U)\times_{\mathbf F(U')}\mathbf F(X')\). The main result of the article is perhaps the Dévissage Theorem. The author describes the Dévissage Theorem as an explanation and a generalization of the dévissage method that is implicit in [\textit{M. Raynaud} and \textit{L. Gruson}, Invent. Math. 13, 1--89 (1971; Zbl 0227.14010)]. Let \(S\) be a quasi-compact and quasi-separated algebraic stack, and let \({\mathbf E}\) denote either the 2-category of étale and finitely presented morphisms \(X \rightarrow S\), or the subcategory of étale, finitely presented, representable and separated morphisms. Let \({\mathbf D} \subseteq {\mathbf E}\) be a full subcategory that is a presheaf \({\mathbf E}^{\text{op}}\rightarrow \{\emptyset, \{*\}\}\). Assume furthermore that as a presheaf it satisfies the sheaf condition with respect to finite, étale and surjective morphisms, and with respect to pushout diagrams of the form described above. Then the presheaf satisfies the sheaf condition for arbitrary representable étale coverings.