English

Moduli spaces of semiorthogonal decompositions in families

Algebraic Geometry 2025-11-17 v3 Category Theory K-Theory and Homology

Abstract

To a smooth and proper morphism XU\mathcal{X}\to U with quasicompact semiseparated target we associate a sheaf in the \'etale topology, which takes an affine UU-scheme VV to the set of VV-linear semiorthogonal decompositions (of fixed length) of the category PerfXV\operatorname{Perf}\mathcal{X}_V. We use Artin's criterion to prove that, when UU is excellent, this is in fact an algebraic space which is moreover \'etale (though in general non-quasicompact and non-separated) over UU. We moreover generalise the construction of the sheaf to families of geometric noncommutative schemes in the sense of Orlov. We also define a subfunctor classifying nontrivial semiorthogonal decompositions, and conjecture it is an open and closed subspace. Along the way, we prove that for a smooth and proper family of schemes, a semiorthogonal decomposition of the bounded derived category of coherent sheaves of a fibre uniquely deforms over an \'etale neighbourhood of the point.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2002.03303,
  title  = {Moduli spaces of semiorthogonal decompositions in families},
  author = {Pieter Belmans and Shinnosuke Okawa and Andrea T. Ricolfi},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2002.03303},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

49 pages, extensively revised following referee reports, with former appendix moved to separate preprint, available at arXiv:2511.10312