The decomposition theorem, perverse sheaves and the topology of algebraic maps
The decomposition theorem, perverse sheaves and the topology of algebraic maps
We give a motivated introduction to the theory of perverse sheaves, culminating in the decomposition theorem of Beilinson, Bernstein, Deligne and Gabber. A goal of this survey is to show how the theory develops naturally from classical constructions used in the study of topological properties of algebraic varieties. While most …