In mathematics, the direct image functor is a construction in sheaf theory that generalizes the global sections functor to the relative case. It is of fundamental importance in topology and algebraic geometry. Given a sheaf F defined on a topological space X and a continuous map f: X → Y, we can define a new sheaf f_∗F on Y, called the direct image sheaf or the pushforward sheaf of F along f, such that the global sections of f_∗F is given by the global sections of F. This assignment gives rise to a functor f_∗ from the category of sheaves on X to the category of sheaves on Y, which is known as the direct image functor. Similar constructions exist in many other algebraic and geometric contexts, including that of quasi-coherent sheaves and étale sheaves on a scheme.