# Mayer-Vietoris sequence for local cohomology

Update 7:35pm UTC 3/23/14: I've reposted this quesion on MathOverflow here.

As an assignment in my commutative algebra class, I need to prove the Mayer-Vietoris sequence for local cohomology:

Let $R$ be a Noetherian ring, $I,J$ $R$-ideals, and $M$ an $R$-module. Show that there is a long exact sequence $$\cdots \rightarrow H^i_{I+J}(M)\rightarrow H^i_I(M)\oplus H^i_J(M) \rightarrow H^i_{I\cap J}(M) \rightarrow H^{i+1}_{I+J}(M)\rightarrow\cdots.$$

I've reduced this to proving the following:

Let $R$ be a Noetherian ring, $I,J$ $R$-ideals, and $M$ an $R$-module such that $\Gamma_{I\cap J}(M)=M$. Then $M=\Gamma_I(M)+\Gamma_J(M)$.

However, in trying to prove this, I ended up "proving" that $M/(\Gamma_I(M)+\Gamma_J(M))\cong (\Gamma_I(M)+\Gamma_J(M))/\Gamma_I(M)$, which is certainly false in general---if it were true, then (assuming we've shown $M=\Gamma_I(M)+\Gamma_J(M)$) setting $J=0$, we'd get $\Gamma_I(M)=M$ for every ideal $I$ and every $R$-module $M$, which is clearly false.

Question: Where did I go wrong?

Here's my "proof" of the incorrect "fact":

Consider the short exact sequence $$0 \to \frac{\Gamma_I(M)}{\Gamma_I(M)\cap \Gamma_J(M)} \to \frac{M}{\Gamma_J(M)}\to \frac{M}{\Gamma_I(M)+\Gamma_J(M)}\to 0.\tag{1}$$ Notice that if $x\in M$, so that $(I\cap J)^n x=0$ for some $x\geq 0$, then $I^n(J^n x)\subseteq (IJ)^nx\subseteq (I\cap J)^n x=0$; hence, $J^nx \subseteq \Gamma_I(M)\subseteq \Gamma_I(M)+\Gamma_J(M)$. Thus, $$\Gamma_J\left(\frac{M}{\Gamma_I(M)+\Gamma_J(M)}\right) = \frac{M}{\Gamma_I(M)+\Gamma_J(M)} \tag{2},$$ and so (by a previous homework set) $$H^i_J\left(\frac{M}{\Gamma_I(M)+\Gamma_J(M)}\right) = 0 \quad \text{for all}\quad i>0 \tag{3}.$$ Also by a previous homework set, $$\Gamma_J\left(\frac{M}{\Gamma_J(M)}\right)=0. \tag{4}$$ Hence, applying the long exact sequence of $H_J$ to (1), and using (2), (3), and (4), we get an exact sequence $$0\to \frac{M}{\Gamma_I(M)+\Gamma_J(M)} \to H^1_J\left(\frac{\Gamma_I(M)}{\Gamma_I(M)\cap \Gamma_J(M)}\right) \to H^1_J\left(\frac{M}{\Gamma_J(M)}\right)\to 0.$$ Hence, $$\frac{M}{\Gamma_I(M)+\Gamma_J(M)} \cong \ker \left[H^1_J\left(\frac{\Gamma_I(M)}{\Gamma_I(M)\cap \Gamma_J(M)}\right) \to H^1_J\left(\frac{M}{\Gamma_J(M)}\right)\right].\tag{5}$$

Now, since $\Gamma_I(M)\cap \Gamma_J(M)=\Gamma_J(\Gamma_I(M))$, we get $$\frac{\Gamma_I(M)}{\Gamma_I(M)\cap \Gamma_J(M)} = \frac{\Gamma_I(M)}{\Gamma_J(\Gamma_I(M))}.$$ From a previous homework assignment, if $N$ is any $R$-module, $R$ is Noetherian, and $J$ is an $R$-ideal, then for $i>0$, the map $H^i(N)\to H^i(N/\Gamma_I(N))$ induced by the projection $N\to N/\Gamma_I(N)$ is an isomorphism. Therefore, (5) becomes $$\frac{M}{\Gamma_I(M)+\Gamma_J(M)} \cong \ker \left[H^1_J(\Gamma_I(M)) \to H^1_J(M)\right],$$ where $H^1_J(\Gamma_I(M)) \to H^1_J(M)$ is the natural map. But by the long exact sequence of $H_J$, $$\ker \left[H^1_J(\Gamma_I(M)) \to H^1_J(M)\right] \cong \frac{\Gamma_J(M)}{\Gamma_J(\Gamma_I(M))} \cong \frac{\Gamma_I(M)+\Gamma_J(M)}{\Gamma_I(M)}.$$ Thus, $$\frac{M}{\Gamma_I(M)+\Gamma_J(M)} \cong \frac{\Gamma_I(M)+\Gamma_J(M)}{\Gamma_I(M)}.$$