Alphabeta Math
LemmaStatement: Literature-sourcedProof: AI-generatedprecheck passaudited 2026-09-05
How statement and proof provenance work

The first chip identifies the source of the statement or construction; the second identifies the source of its local proof or verification.

  • Literature-sourced: the exact statement appears in a cited source; only wording and notation differ.
  • AI-adapted: a semantically identical restatement of literature-sourced material, modulo indexing, notation, and boundary cases adopted by the library.
  • AI-generated: a genuinely novel statement formulated by AI, with no source for the claim itself.

These labels describe origin, not correctness: citations and verification chips remain separate evidence.

A partial morphism of delta functors extends through one dimension shift

Statement

Let S and T be delta functors on an abelian category. In the homological case fix n>0; in the cohomological case fix n≥0.

Homological case: suppose S=(Si,∂S) and T=(Ti,∂T) are homological, suppose natural transformations ui:Si⇒Ti,0≤i<n, have already been chosen compatibly with the connecting maps in degrees <n, and choose for an object A a short exact sequence 0→K→P→pA→0 such that P is projective and Tn(p)=0. Then there is a unique morphism un(p)(A):Sn(A)→Tn(A) such that ∂nT un(p)(A)=un−1(K) ∂nS. If a morphism f:A→A′ is covered by a morphism between two such chosen short exact sequences, then the maps un(p)(A) and un(p′)(A′) are natural with respect to f.

Cohomological case: suppose S=(Si,∂S) and T=(Ti,∂T) are cohomological, suppose natural transformations ui:Si⇒Ti,0≤i≤n, have already been chosen compatibly with the connecting maps in degrees <n, and choose for an object A a short exact sequence 0→A→eI→C→0 such that I is injective and Sn+1(e)=0. Then there is a unique morphism uAn+1,(e):Sn+1(A)→Tn+1(A). More explicitly, let qS:coker⁡(Sn(I)→Sn(C))→∼Sn+1(A) be induced by ∂Sn, let u‾n be the map on cokernels induced by un, and let qT:coker⁡(Tn(I)→Tn(C))→Tn+1(A) be induced by ∂Tn. Then uAn+1,(e) is characterized by uAn+1,(e)qS=qTu‾n. If a morphism f:A→A′ is covered by a morphism between two such chosen short exact sequences, then these maps are natural with respect to f.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: An object A and a chosen effacement sequence as in the statement.

[L1]

Effaceability supplies the chosen projective or injective short exact sequence (Effaceable homological delta functor in positive degrees, Effaceable cohomological delta functor in positive degrees).

[L2]

In the homological case, the chosen effacement makes the connecting map ∂nT:Tn(A)→Tn−1(K) monic; in the cohomological case, the chosen effacement makes Sn+1(A) the cokernel of Sn(I)→Sn(C) (Dimension shift for a homological delta functor effaced in the middle, Dimension shift for a cohomological delta functor effaced in the middle).

[L3]

A natural transformation is defined by commuting with the maps induced by the chosen morphisms (Natural transformation and its components).

Proof

technique · direct
1.1L1L2givenconstruct

In the homological case, exactness of the long sequences for the chosen short exact sequence gives Sn(P)→Sn(A)→∂nSSn−1(K)→Sn−1(P) and Tn(P)→Tn(A)→∂nTTn−1(K)→Tn−1(P). Because the lower incoming map is zero by the chosen effacement, [L2] makes ∂nT monic. The already defined map un−1(K) therefore determines at most one map un(p)(A) satisfying ∂nT un(p)(A)=un−1(K) ∂nS, and exactness shows that the right-hand side lands in ker⁡(Tn−1(K)→Tn−1(P))=im⁡(∂nT), so this map exists.

2.1L2L3step 1.1algebra

If f:A→A′ is covered by a morphism of chosen effacement sequences, then the already defined degree-(n−1) maps are natural by [L3]. Applying the defining equation from step 1.1 on both objects and using naturality of the connecting morphisms inside the two long exact sequences shows that ∂nT has the same composite with both Tn(f) un(p)(A) and un(p′)(A′) Sn(f). Since the target ∂nT is monic by [L2], these two maps are equal.

3.1L2L3givenconstruct∎

In the cohomological case, [L2] makes qS an isomorphism. The known map un induces u‾n on the displayed cokernels, while exactness makes ∂Tn factor through the map qT from the target cokernel. Define uAn+1,(e):=qTu‾nqS−1. This is the unique map satisfying uAn+1,(e)qS=qTu‾n. The same cokernel equation, together with naturality of the known degree-n maps from [L3], gives naturality for morphisms covered by chosen effacement ladders.

Depends on

Used by

Dependency tree · two levels

10 results within two dependency steps of this one, each drawn at its shortest distance from it. An arrow runs from a result to what uses it, so the chart reads left to right and ends at this result, which carries a heavier outline. Every node is a link to that result. Click elsewhere on the chart to enlarge it.

Sources