Perfect complex


In algebra, a perfect complex of modules over a commutative ring A is an object in the derived category of A-modules that is quasi-isomorphic to a bounded complex of finite projective A-modules. A perfect module is a module that is perfect when it is viewed as a complex concentrated at degree zero. For example, if A is Noetherian, a module over A is perfect if and only if it has finite projective dimension.

Other characterizations

Perfect complexes are precisely the compact objects in the unbounded derived category of A-modules. They are also precisely the dualizable objects in this category.
A compact object in the ∞-category of module spectra over a ring spectrum is often called perfect; see also module spectrum.

Pseudo-coherent sheaf

When the structure sheaf is not coherent, working with coherent sheaves has awkwardness. Because of this, SGA 6 Expo I introduces the notion of a pseudo-coherent sheaf.
By definition, given a ringed space, an -module is called pseudo-coherent if for every integer, locally, there is a free presentation of finite type of length n; i.e.,
A complex F of -modules is called pseudo-coherent if, for every integer n, there is locally a quasi-isomorphism where L has degree bounded above and consists of finite free modules in degree. If the complex consists only of the zero-th degree term, then it is pseudo-coherent if and only if it is so as a module.
Roughly speaking, a pseudo-coherent complex may be thought of as a limit of perfect complexes.