Lemma 35.10.7. Let $\{ T_ i \to T\}$ be an fpqc covering, see Topologies, Definition 34.9.1. Then $\{ T_ i \to T\}$ is a universal effective epimorphism in the category of schemes, see Sites, Definition 7.12.1. In other words, every representable functor on the category of schemes satisfies the sheaf condition for the fpqc topology, see Topologies, Definition 34.9.12.

Proof. Let $S$ be a scheme. We have to show the following: Given morphisms $\varphi _ i : T_ i \to S$ such that $\varphi _ i|_{T_ i \times _ T T_ j} = \varphi _ j|_{T_ i \times _ T T_ j}$ there exists a unique morphism $T \to S$ which restricts to $\varphi _ i$ on each $T_ i$. In other words, we have to show that the functor $h_ S = \mathop{Mor}\nolimits _{\mathit{Sch}}( - , S)$ satisfies the sheaf property for the fpqc topology.

If $\{ T_ i \to T\}$ is a Zariski covering, then this follows from Schemes, Lemma 26.14.1. Thus Topologies, Lemma 34.9.13 reduces us to the case of a covering $\{ X \to Y\}$ given by a single surjective flat morphism of affines.

First proof. By Lemma 35.8.1 we have the sheaf condition for quasi-coherent modules for $\{ X \to Y\}$. By Lemma 35.10.6 the morphism $X \to Y$ is universally submersive. Hence we may apply Lemma 35.10.5 to see that $\{ X \to Y\}$ is a universal effective epimorphism.

Second proof. Let $R \to A$ be the faithfully flat ring map corresponding to our surjective flat morphism $\pi : X \to Y$. Let $f : X \to S$ be a morphism such that $f \circ \text{pr}_1 = f \circ \text{pr}_2$ as morphisms $X \times _ Y X = \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(A \otimes _ R A) \to S$. By Lemma 35.10.1 we see that as a map on the underlying sets $f$ is of the form $f = g \circ \pi$ for some (set theoretic) map $g : \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(R) \to S$. By Morphisms, Lemma 29.24.12 and the fact that $f$ is continuous we see that $g$ is continuous.

Pick $y \in Y = \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(R)$. Choose $U \subset S$ affine open containing $g(y)$. Say $U = \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(B)$. By the above we may choose an $r \in R$ such that $y \in D(r) \subset g^{-1}(U)$. The restriction of $f$ to $\pi ^{-1}(D(r))$ into $U$ corresponds to a ring map $B \to A_ r$. The two induced ring maps $B \to A_ r \otimes _{R_ r} A_ r = (A \otimes _ R A)_ r$ are equal by assumption on $f$. Note that $R_ r \to A_ r$ is faithfully flat. By Lemma 35.3.6 the equalizer of the two arrows $A_ r \to A_ r \otimes _{R_ r} A_ r$ is $R_ r$. We conclude that $B \to A_ r$ factors uniquely through a map $B \to R_ r$. This map in turn gives a morphism of schemes $D(r) \to U \to S$, see Schemes, Lemma 26.6.4.

What have we proved so far? We have shown that for any prime $\mathfrak p \subset R$, there exists a standard affine open $D(r) \subset \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(R)$ such that the morphism $f|_{\pi ^{-1}(D(r))} : \pi ^{-1}(D(r)) \to S$ factors uniquely through some morphism of schemes $D(r) \to S$. We omit the verification that these morphisms glue to the desired morphism $\mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(R) \to S$. $\square$

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