Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 June 2014
The $p$-cohomology of an algebraic variety in characteristic $p$ lies naturally in the category $D_{c}^{b}(R)$ of coherent complexes of graded modules over the Raynaud ring (Ekedahl, Illusie, Raynaud). We study homological algebra in this category. When the base field is finite, our results provide relations between the absolute cohomology groups of algebraic varieties, log varieties, algebraic stacks, etc., and the special values of their zeta functions. These results provide compelling evidence that $D_{c}^{b}(R)$ is the correct target for $p$-cohomology in characteristic $p$.