LetX be a projective scheme over a noetherian base schemeS, and letF be a coherent sheaf onX. For any coherent sheaf ε onX, consider the set-valued contravariant functor Hom(ε,F)S-schemes, defined by Hom(ε,F) (T)= Hom(ε_T,F_T) where ε_T andF_T are the pull-backs of ε andF toX_T =X x_S T. A basic result of Grothendieck ([EGA], III 7.7.8, 7.7.9) says that ifF is flat over S then Kom_ε,F) is representable for all ε.

We prove the converse of the above, in fact, we show that ifL is a relatively ample line bundle onX over S such that the functor Hom(L^-n,F) is representable for infinitely many positive integersn, thenF is flat overS. As a corollary, takingX =S, it follows that ifF is a coherent sheaf on S then the functorT ↦H°(T, F_t) on the category ofS-schemes is representable if and only ifF is locally free onS. This answers a question posed by Angelo Vistoli.

The techniques we use involve the proof of flattening stratification, together with the methods used in proving the author’s earlier result (see [N1]) that the automorphism group functor of a coherent sheaf onS is representable if and only if the sheaf is locally free.