A short computation of the Rouquier dimension for a cycle of projective lines

Abstract: Given a dg category $\mathcal C$, we introduce a new class of objects (weakly product bimodules) in $\mathcal C^{op}\otimes \mathcal C$ generalizing product bimodules. We show that the minimal generation time of the diagonal by weakly product bimodules provides an upper bound for the Rouquier dimension of $\mathcal C$. As an application, we give a purely algebro-geometric proof of a result of Burban and Drozd that the Rouquier dimension of the derived category of coherent sheaves on an $n$-cycle of projective lines is one. Our approach explicitly gives the generator realizing the minimal generation time.