Adic approximation of complexes, and multiplicities

Abstract

In [2, Section 1.6] Peskine and Szpiro prove a theorem on adic approximations of finite free resolutions over local rings which, together with M. Artin’s Approximation Theorem [1], allows them to “descend” modules of finite projective dimension over the completions of certain local rings to modules of finite projective dimension over finite étale extensions of those rings. In this note we will prove a more general result, which deals with the change in homology under an adic approximation of any complex of finitely generated modules over a noetherian ring, and which allows one to descend not only modules of finite projective dimension, but also the Euler characteristic or intersection multiplicity of two such modules.