Crepant resolutions of stratified varieties via gluing

Abstract: Let $X$ be a variety with a stratification $\mathcal{S}$ into smooth locally closed subvarieties such that $X$ is locally a product along each stratum (e.g., a symplectic singularity). We prove that assigning to each open subset $U \subset X$ the set of isomorphism classes of locally projective crepant resolutions of $U$ defines an $\mathcal{S}$-constructible sheaf of sets. Thus, for each stratum $S$ and basepoint $s \in S$, the fundamental group acts on the set of germs of projective crepant resolutions at $s$, leaving invariant the germs extending to the entire stratum. Global locally projective crepant resolutions correspond to compatible such choices for all strata. For example, if the local projective crepant resolutions are unique, they automatically glue uniquely. We give criteria for a locally projective crepant resolution $\rho: \tilde X \to X$ to be globally projective. We show that the sheafification of the presheaf $U \mapsto \text{Pic}(\rho^{-1}(U)/U)$ of relative Picard classes is also constructible. The resolution is globally projective only if there exist local relatively ample bundles whose classes glue to a global section of this sheaf. The obstruction to lifting this section to a global ample line bundle is encoded by a gerbe on the singularity $X$. We show the gerbes are automatically trivial if $X$ is a symplectic quotient singularity. Our main results hold in the more general setting of partial crepant resolutions, that need not have smooth source. We apply the theory to symmetric powers and Hilbert schemes of surfaces with du Val singularities, finite quotients of tori, multiplicative and Nakajima quiver varieties, as well as to canonical threefold singularities.