K-Theoretic Generalized Donaldson–Thomas Invariants

Abstract

Abstract We introduce the notion of almost perfect obstruction theory on a Deligne–Mumford stack and show that stacks with almost perfect obstruction theories have virtual structure sheaves, which are deformation invariant. The main components in the construction are an induced embedding of the coarse moduli sheaf of the intrinsic normal cone into the associated obstruction sheaf stack and the construction of a $K$-theoretic Gysin map for sheaf stacks. We show that many stacks of interest admit almost perfect obstruction theories. As a result, we are able to define virtual structure sheaves and $K$-theoretic classical and generalized Donaldson–Thomas invariants of sheaves and complexes on Calabi–Yau three-folds.