In representation theory, commutative algebra and algebraic geometry, it is an important problem to understand when the triangulated category $\mathsf{D}_{\operatorname{sg}}^{\mathbb{Z}}(R)=\text{}\underline{\mathsf{CM}}_{0}^{\mathbb{Z}}R$ admits a tilting (respectively, silting) object for a $\mathbb{Z}$-graded commutative Gorenstein ring $R=\bigoplus _{i\geqslant 0}R_{i}$. Here $\mathsf{D}_{\operatorname{sg}}^{\mathbb{Z}}(R)$ is the singularity category, and $\text{}\underline{\mathsf{CM}}_{0}^{\mathbb{Z}}R$ is the stable category of $\mathbb{Z}$-graded Cohen–Macaulay (CM) $R$-modules, which are locally free at all nonmaximal prime ideals of $R$.

In this paper, we give a complete answer to this problem in the case where $\dim R=1$ and $R_{0}$ is a field. We prove that $\text{}\underline{\mathsf{CM}}_{0}^{\mathbb{Z}}R$ always admits a silting object, and that $\text{}\underline{\mathsf{CM}}_{0}^{\mathbb{Z}}R$ admits a tilting object if and only if either $R$ is regular or the $a$-invariant of $R$ is nonnegative. Our silting/tilting object will be given explicitly. We also show that if $R$ is reduced and nonregular, then its $a$-invariant is nonnegative and the above tilting object gives a full strong exceptional collection in $\text{}\underline{\mathsf{CM}}_{0}^{\mathbb{Z}}R=\text{}\underline{\mathsf{CM}}^{\mathbb{Z}}R$.

In this paper we consider Grassmannians in arbitrary characteristic. Generalizing Kapranov’s well-known characteristic-zero results, we construct dual exceptional collections on them (which are, however, not strong) as well as a tilting bundle. We show that this tilting bundle has a quasi-hereditary endomorphism ring and we identify the standard, costandard, projective and simple modules of the latter.

Using Grothendieck's semicontinuity theorem for half-exact functors, we derive two semicontinuity results on Hochschild cohomology. We apply these to show that the first Hochschild cohomogy group of the mesh algebra of a translation quiver over a domain vanishes if and only if the translation quiver is simply connected. We then establish an exact sequence relating the first Hochschild cohomology group of an algebra to that of the endomorphism algebra of a module and apply it to study the first Hochschild cohomology group of an Auslander algebra. Our main result shows that for a finite-dimensional and representation-finite algebra algebra $A$ over an algebraically closed field with Auslander algebra $\Lambda$ the following conditions are equivalent:

(1) $A$ admits no outer derivation;

(2) $\Lambda$ admits no outer derivations;

(3) $A$ is simply connected;

(4) $\Lambda$ is strongly simply connected.

We construct a general semiregularity map for algebraic cycles as asked for by S. Bloch in 1972. The existence of such a semiregularity map has well known consequences for the structure of the Hilbert scheme and for the variational Hodge conjecture. Aside from generalizing and extending considerably previously known results in this direction, we give new applications to deformations of modules that encompass, for example, results of Artamkin and Mukai. The formation of the semiregularity map here involves powers of the cotangent complex, Atiyah classes, and trace maps, and is defined not only for subspaces of manifolds but for perfect complexes on arbitrary complex spaces. It generalizes in particular Illusie's treatment of the Chern character to the analytic context and specializes to Bloch's earlier description of the semiregularity map for locally complete intersections as well as to the infinitesimal Abel–Jacobi map for submanifolds.