We study objects in triangulated categories which have a two-dimensional graded endomorphism algebra. Given such an object, we show that there is a unique maximal triangulated subcategory, in which the object is spherical. This general result is then applied to algebraic geometry.Comment: 21 pages. Identical to published version. There is a separate article with examples from representation theory, see arXiv:1502.0683

We introduce a new invariant for triangulated categories: the poset of spherical subcategories ordered by inclusion. This yields several numerical invariants, like the cardinality and the height of the poset. We explicitly describe spherical subcategories and their poset structure for derived categories of certain finite-dimensional algebras.

Abstract. We propose a generalisation of Mori dream spaces to stacks. We show that this notion is preserved under root constructions and taking abelian gerbes. Unlike the case of Mori dream spaces, such a stack is not always given as a quotient of the spectrum of its Cox ring by the Picard group. We give a criterion when this is true in terms of Mori dream spaces and root constructions. Finally, we compare this notion with that of smooth toric Deligne-Mumford stacks.

Inspired by Bondal's conjecture, we study the behavior of exceptional sequences of line bundles on rational C * -surfaces under homogeneous degenerations. In particular, we provide a sufficient criterion for such a sequence to remain exceptional under a given degeneration. We apply our results to show that, for toric surfaces of Picard rank 3 or 4, all full exceptional sequences of line bundles may be constructed via augmentation. We also discuss how our techniques may be used to construct noncommutative deformations of derived categories.

We give a proper definition of the multiplicative structure of the following rings: Cox ring of invertible sheaves on a general algebraic stack; Cox ring of rank one reflexive sheaves on a normal and excellent algebraic stack. We show that such Cox rings always exist and establish its (non-)uniqueness in terms of an Ext-group. Moreover, we compare this definition with the classical construction of a Cox ring on a variety. Finally, we give an application to the theory of Mori dream stacks.