Sign (di)lemma for dimension shifting (Q841196)

Let \(\mathcal{A}\) be an abelian category with enough injectives, \(\mathcal{B}\) an abelian category and \(F:\mathcal{A}\to\mathcal{B}\) a left-exact functor. Suppose given \(X\in\text{Ob}\mathcal{A}\). Let \(I\) be an injective resolution of \(X\) such that \((\text{R}^k F) X = \text{H}^k (FI)\) for \(k\geqslant 0\). Given an acyclic resolution \(J\) of \(X\in\text{Ob}\mathcal{A}\) and \(n\geqslant 1\), there is a morphism \(J\to I\) inducing a canonical isomorphism \(c^n : \text{H}^n (FJ)\to \text{H}^n (FI) = (\text{R}^n F) X\). On the other hand, decomposing \(J\) into short exact sequences \(Z^{k-1}\to J^{k-1}\to Z^k\), where \(Z^0 = X\), we get connecting isomorphisms \((\text{R}^k F) Z^{n-k}\to (\text{R}^{k+1} F) Z^{n-k-1}\) for \(k\in [1,n-1]\), composing to the isomorphism \( d^n : \text{H}^n (FJ) = \text{Cokern}(F J^{n-1}\to F Z^n) \to (\text{R}^1 F) Z^{n-1} \to\cdots \to (\text{R}^n F) Z^0 = (\text{R}^n F) X\). The main result is that \(d^n = (-1)^{(n^2 + n)/2} c^n\). It is remarked that both \(c^n\) and \(d^n\) appear in the literature e.g.\ in the context of the comparison of de\,Rham cohomology and sheaf cohomology; in particular, the sign plays a role in connection with Chern classes.