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Picard group

Mathematical group occurring in algebraic geometry and the theory of complex manifolds

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Through Mathematics, Group (mathematics) and Divisor (algebraic geometry)

Alternatively, the Picard group can be defined as the sheaf cohomology group

H1(X,OX∗).

For integral schemes the Picard group is isomorphic to the class group of Cartier divisors. For complex manifolds the exponential sheaf sequence gives basic information on the Picard group.

The name is in honour of Émile Picard's theories, in particular of divisors on algebraic surfaces.

Examples

  • The Picard group of the spectrum of a Dedekind domain is its ideal class group.
  • The invertible sheaves on projective space Pn(k) for k a field, are the twisting sheaves O(m), so the Picard group of Pn(k) is isomorphic to Z.
  • The Picard group of the affine line with two origins over k is isomorphic to Z.
  • The Picard group of the n-dimensional complex affine space: Pic⁡(Cn)=0, indeed the exponential sequence yields the following long exact sequence in cohomology
    ⋯→H1(Cn,Z_)→H1(Cn,OCn)→H1(Cn,OCn⋆)→H2(Cn,Z_)→⋯
and since Hk(Cn,Z_)≃Hsingk(Cn;Z) we have H1(Cn,Z_)≃H2(Cn,Z_)≃0 because Cn is contractible, then H1(Cn,OCn)≃H1(Cn,OCn⋆) and we can apply the Dolbeault isomorphism to calculate H1(Cn,OCn)≃H1(Cn,ΩCn0)≃H∂¯0,1(Cn)=0 by the Dolbeault–Grothendieck lemma.

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