The action on cohomology by compositions of rational maps

Abstract

We use intuitive results from algebraic topology and intersection theory to clarify the pullback action on cohomology by compositions of rational maps. We use these techniques to prove a simple sufficient criterion for functoriality of a composition of two rational maps on all degrees of cohomology and we then reprove the criteria of Diller-Favre, Bedford-Kim, and Dinh-Sibony. We conclude with a cautionary example.