A morphism of finite type f:X \to Y is called a
(local) complete intersection morphism if each point
x in
X has an open affine neighborhood
U so that
f |
U factors as U \overset{j}\to V \overset{g}\to Y where
j is a regular embedding and
g is
smooth. For example, if
f is a morphism between
smooth varieties, then
f factors as X \to X \times Y \to Y where the first map is the
graph morphism and so is a complete intersection morphism. Notice that this definition is compatible with the one in EGA IV for the special case of
flat morphisms. Let f: X \to Y be a local-complete-intersection morphism that admits a global factorization: it is a composition X \overset{i}\hookrightarrow P \overset{p}\to Y where i is a regular embedding and p a smooth morphism. Then the
virtual tangent bundle is an element of the
Grothendieck group of vector bundles on
X given as: :T_f = [i^* T_{P/Y}] - [N_{X/P}], where T_{P/Y}=\Omega_{P/Y}^{\vee} is the relative tangent sheaf of p (which is
locally free since p is smooth) and N is the normal sheaf (\mathcal{I}/\mathcal{I}^2)^{\vee} (where \mathcal{I} is the ideal sheaf of X in P), which is locally free since i is a regular embedding. More generally, if f \colon X \rightarrow Y is a
any local complete intersection morphism of schemes, its
cotangent complex L_{X/Y} is
perfect of Tor-amplitude [-1,0]. If moreover f is locally of finite type and Y locally Noetherian, then the converse is also true. These notions are used for instance in the
Grothendieck–Riemann–Roch theorem. == Non-Noetherian case ==