The Stacks project

Proof. We first prove that $\Delta : \mathcal{X} \to \mathcal{X} \times \mathcal{X}$ is representable by algebraic spaces. To do this it suffices to show that

is representable by an algebraic space for any affine scheme $V$ locally of finite presentation over $S$ and object $y$ of $\mathcal{X} \times \mathcal{X}$ over $V$, see Criteria for Representability, Lemma 97.5.5¹. Observe that $\mathcal{Y}$ is fibred in setoids (Stacks, Lemma 8.2.5) and let $Y : (\mathit{Sch}/S)_{fppf}^{opp} \to \textit{Sets}$, $T \mapsto \mathop{\mathrm{Ob}}\nolimits (\mathcal{Y}_ T)/\cong$ be the functor of isomorphism classes. We will apply Proposition 98.16.1 to see that $Y$ is an algebraic space.

Note that $\Delta _\mathcal {Y} : \mathcal{Y} \to \mathcal{Y} \times \mathcal{Y}$ (and hence also $Y \to Y \times Y$) is representable by algebraic spaces by condition (1) and Criteria for Representability, Lemma 97.4.4. Observe that $Y$ is a sheaf for the étale topology by Stacks, Lemmas 8.6.3 and 8.6.7, i.e., axiom [0] holds. Also $Y$ is limit preserving by Lemma 98.11.2, i.e., we have [1]. Note that $Y$ has (RS), i.e., axiom [2] holds, by Lemmas 98.5.2 and 98.5.3. Axiom [3] for $Y$ follows from Lemmas 98.8.1 and 98.8.2. Axiom [4] follows from Lemmas 98.9.5 and 98.9.6. Axiom [5] for $Y$ follows directly from openness of versality for $\Delta _\mathcal {X}$ which is part of axiom [5] for $\mathcal{X}$. Thus all the assumptions of Proposition 98.16.1 are satisfied and $Y$ is an algebraic space.

At this point it follows from Lemma 98.17.1 that $\mathcal{X}$ is an algebraic stack. $\square$