Image presheaf which is not a sheaf

abstract-algebraalgebraic-geometrysheaf-theorysolution-verification

I read a proof which states that the kernel of a morphism between Sheaves is a sheaf. I can not realize the proof, and I have to read it again. It is written that the Image of a morphism between sheaves is not a sheaf necessarily, and gives this example:

$\exp: \cal{F} \rightarrow \cal{G}$, which sends $f$ to $exp(2\pi if)$. Now look at $\exp(\log z)=z=Id(z)$.


As I stated in the previous question, I am not comfortable with sheaves, and I can not get the point of the counter-example. Here I will say what I've realized:

In this example, we deal with the sheaf of rings of the "suitable" functions on the topological space $X$. But I do not which property should be replaced for the term "suitable". Analytic? Continues? Differentiable?


I can realize why that is a sheaf; for instance, let "suitable"=continues:

  • To each open subset $U \subseteq X$, we can associate the ring of continuous functions $\cal{F}$$(U)$.
  • For any open subsets $U_1 \subseteq U_2 \subseteq U_3$, we have restriction maps $\rho_{(U_i,U_j)}:$$\cal{F}$ $(U_i) \rightarrow $ $\cal{F}$$(U_j)$ (for $i \geq j$); such that: (1) $\rho_{(U_i,U_i)}$ is an identity of $U_i$, and (2) $\rho_{(U_3,U_1)}=\rho_{(U_2,U_1)} o \rho_{(U_3,U_2)}$.
  • Given a family of open sets $\{ U_i \}_{i \in I}$ which is a cover of $U$, and a family of section $f_i \in \cal{F}$$(U_i)$, which are identical on every intersection. Then it is clear that there exists a unique section $f \in \cal{F}$$(U)$, which agrees with $f_i$ on $U_i$.

Am I check it truly?


Why that example is a counterexample to "an image presheaf which is not a sheaf"?

Best Answer

I'm not sure exactly what $\cal F$ and $\cal G$ are, but let's takes some topological space $X$, let $\cal F$ be the sheaf of continuous complex functions on $X$ and $\cal G$ be the sheaf of continuous non-zero complex functions on $X$. Your definition then makes sense as a sheaf homomorphism.

This map exp is a surjective map of sheaves, but its image as a presheaf is not necessarily the whole of $\cal G$. If the presheaf image is $\cal H$, then ${\cal H}(U)$ is the set of functions on $U$ with a continuous logarithm. If say $X=\Bbb C$ then ${\cal H}(\Bbb C-\{0\})\ne{\cal G}(\Bbb C-\{0\})$ since the function $z\mapsto z$ is continuous and nonzero on $\Bbb C-\{0\}$ but has no continuous logarithm on that set.

But exp is surjective as a map of sheaves. The image of exp is the sheaf of functions on $X$ which locally have continuous logarithms, that is all nonzero continuous functions, since a continuous nonzero function has a continuous logarithm in some neighbourhood of any given point.

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