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The Stacks project

33.42 Finding affine opens

We continue the discussion started in Properties, Section 28.29. It turns out that we can find affines containing a finite given set of codimension 1 points on a separated scheme. See Proposition 33.42.7.

We will improve on the following lemma in Descent, Lemma 35.25.4.

Lemma 33.42.1. Let f : X \to Y be a morphism of schemes. Let X^0 denote the set of generic points of irreducible components of X. If

  1. f is separated,

  2. there is an open covering X = \bigcup U_ i such that f|_{U_ i} : U_ i \to Y is an open immersion, and

  3. if \xi , \xi ' \in X^0, \xi \not= \xi ', then f(\xi ) \not= f(\xi '),

then f is an open immersion.

Proof. Suppose that y = f(x) = f(x'). Pick a specialization y_0 \leadsto y where y_0 is a generic point of an irreducible component of Y. Since f is locally on the source an isomorphism we can pick specializations x_0 \leadsto x and x'_0 \leadsto x' mapping to y_0 \leadsto y. Note that x_0, x'_0 \in X^0. Hence x_0 = x'_0 by assumption (3). As f is separated we conclude that x = x'. Thus f is an open immersion. \square

Lemma 33.42.2. Let X \to S be a morphism of schemes. Let x \in X be a point with image s \in S. If

  1. \mathcal{O}_{X, x} = \mathcal{O}_{S, s},

  2. X is reduced,

  3. X \to S is of finite type, and

  4. S has finitely many irreducible components,

then there exists an open neighbourhood U of x such that f|_ U is an open immersion.

Proof. We may remove the (finitely many) irreducible components of S which do not contain s. We may replace S by an affine open neighbourhood of s. We may replace X by an affine open neighbourhood of x. Say S = \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(A) and X = \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(B). Let \mathfrak q \subset B, resp. \mathfrak p \subset A be the prime ideal corresponding to x, resp. s. As A is a reduced and all of the minimal primes of A are contained in \mathfrak p we see that A \subset A_\mathfrak p. As X \to S is of finite type, B is of finite type over A. Let b_1, \ldots , b_ n \in B be elements which generate B over A Since A_\mathfrak p = B_\mathfrak q we can find f \in A, f \not\in \mathfrak p and a_ i \in A such that b_ i and a_ i/f have the same image in B_\mathfrak q. Thus we can find g \in B, g \not\in \mathfrak q such that g(fb_ i - a_ i) = 0 in B. It follows that the image of A_ f \to B_{fg} contains the images of b_1, \ldots , b_ n, in particular also the image of g. Choose n \geq 0 and f' \in A such that f'/f^ n maps to the image of g in B_{fg}. Since A_\mathfrak p = B_\mathfrak q we see that f' \not\in \mathfrak p. We conclude that A_{ff'} \to B_{fg} is surjective. Finally, as A_{ff'} \subset A_\mathfrak p = B_\mathfrak q (see above) the map A_{ff'} \to B_{fg} is injective, hence an isomorphism. \square

Lemma 33.42.3. Let f : T \to X be a morphism of schemes. Let X^0, resp. T^0 denote the sets of generic points of irreducible components. Let t_1, \ldots , t_ m \in T be a finite set of points with images x_ j = f(t_ j). If

  1. T is affine,

  2. X is quasi-separated,

  3. X^0 is finite

  4. f(T^0) \subset X^0 and f : T^0 \to X^0 is injective, and

  5. \mathcal{O}_{X, x_ j} = \mathcal{O}_{T, t_ j},

then there exists an affine open of X containing x_1, \ldots , x_ r.

Proof. Using Limits, Proposition 32.11.2 there is an immediate reduction to the case where X and T are reduced. Details omitted.

Assume X and T are reduced. We may write T = \mathop{\mathrm{lim}}\nolimits _{i \in I} T_ i as a directed limit of schemes of finite presentation over X with affine transition morphisms, see Limits, Lemma 32.7.2. Pick i \in I such that T_ i is affine, see Limits, Lemma 32.4.13. Say T_ i = \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(R_ i) and T = \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(R). Let R' \subset R be the image of R_ i \to R. Then T' = \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(R') is affine, reduced, of finite type over X, and T \to T' dominant. For j = 1, \ldots , r let t'_ j \in T' be the image of t_ j. Consider the local ring maps

\mathcal{O}_{X, x_ j} \to \mathcal{O}_{T', t'_ j} \to \mathcal{O}_{T, t_ j}

Denote (T')^0 the set of generic points of irreducible components of T'. Let \xi \leadsto t'_ j be a specialization with \xi \in (T')^0. As T \to T' is dominant we can choose \eta \in T^0 mapping to \xi (warning: a priori we do not know that \eta specializes to t_ j). Assumption (3) applied to \eta tells us that the image \theta of \xi in X corresponds to a minimal prime of \mathcal{O}_{X, x_ j}. Lifting \xi via the isomorphism of (5) we obtain a specialization \eta ' \leadsto t_ j with \eta ' \in T^0 mapping to \theta \leadsto x_ j. The injectivity of (4) shows that \eta = \eta '. Thus every minimal prime of \mathcal{O}_{T', t'_ j} lies below a minimal prime of \mathcal{O}_{T, t_ j}. We conclude that \mathcal{O}_{T', t'_ j} \to \mathcal{O}_{T, t_ j} is injective, hence both maps above are isomorphisms.

By Lemma 33.42.2 there exists an open U \subset T' containing all the points t'_ j such that U \to X is a local isomorphism as in Lemma 33.42.1. By that lemma we see that U \to X is an open immersion. Finally, by Properties, Lemma 28.29.5 we can find an open W \subset U \subset T' containing all the t'_ j. The image of W in X is the desired affine open. \square

Lemma 33.42.4. Let X be an integral separated scheme. Let x_1, \ldots , x_ r \in X be a finite set of points such that \mathcal{O}_{X, x_ i} is Noetherian of dimension \leq 1. Then there exists an affine open subscheme of X containing all of x_1, \ldots , x_ r.

Proof. Let K be the field of rational functions of X. Set A_ i = \mathcal{O}_{X, x_ i}. Then A_ i \subset K and K is the fraction field of A_ i. Since X is separated, and x_ i \not= x_ j there cannot be a valuation ring \mathcal{O} \subset K dominating both A_ i and A_ j. Namely, considering the diagram

\xymatrix{ \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(\mathcal{O}) \ar[r] \ar[d] & \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(A_1) \ar[d] \\ \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(A_2) \ar[r] & X }

and applying the valuative criterion of separatedness (Schemes, Lemma 26.22.1) we would get x_ i = x_ j. Thus we see by Lemma 33.37.3 that A_ i \otimes A_ j \to K is surjective for all i \not= j. By Lemma 33.37.7 we see that A = A_1 \cap \ldots \cap A_ r is a Noetherian semi-local ring with exactly r maximal ideals \mathfrak m_1, \ldots , \mathfrak m_ r such that A_ i = A_{\mathfrak m_ i}. Moreover,

\mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(A) = \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(A_1) \cup \ldots \cup \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(A_ r)

is an open covering and the intersection of any two pieces of this covering is \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(K). Thus the given morphisms \mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(A_ i) \to X glue to a morphism of schemes

\mathop{\mathrm{Spec}}(A) \longrightarrow X

mapping \mathfrak m_ i to x_ i and inducing isomorphisms of local rings. Thus the result follows from Lemma 33.42.3. \square

Lemma 33.42.5. Let A be a ring, I \subset A an ideal, \mathfrak p_1, \ldots , \mathfrak p_ r primes of A, and \overline{f} \in A/I an element. If I \not\subset \mathfrak p_ i for all i, then there exists an f \in A, f \not\in \mathfrak p_ i which maps to \overline{f} in A/I.

Proof. We may assume there are no inclusion relations among the \mathfrak p_ i (by removing the smaller primes). First pick any f \in A lifting \overline{f}. Let S be the set s \in \{ 1, \ldots , r\} such that f \in \mathfrak p_ s. If S is empty we are done. If not, consider the ideal J = I \prod _{i \not\in S} \mathfrak p_ i. Note that J is not contained in \mathfrak p_ s for s \in S because there are no inclusions among the \mathfrak p_ i and because I is not contained in any \mathfrak p_ i. Hence we can choose g \in J, g \not\in \mathfrak p_ s for s \in S by Algebra, Lemma 10.15.2. Then f + g is a solution to the problem posed by the lemma. \square

Lemma 33.42.6. Let X be a scheme. Let T \subset X be finite set of points. Assume

  1. X has finitely many irreducible components Z_1, \ldots , Z_ t, and

  2. Z_ i \cap T is contained in an affine open of the reduced induced subscheme corresponding to Z_ i.

Then there exists an affine open subscheme of X containing T.

Proof. Using Limits, Proposition 32.11.2 there is an immediate reduction to the case where X is reduced. Details omitted. In the rest of the proof we endow every closed subset of X with the induced reduced closed subscheme structure.

We argue by induction that we can find an affine open U \subset Z_1 \cup \ldots \cup Z_ r containing T \cap (Z_1 \cup \ldots \cup Z_ r). For r = 1 this holds by assumption. Say r > 1 and let U \subset Z_1 \cup \ldots \cup Z_{r - 1} be an affine open containing T \cap (Z_1 \cup \ldots \cup Z_{r - 1}). Let V \subset X_ r be an affine open containing T \cap Z_ r (exists by assumption). Then U \cap V contains T \cap ( Z_1 \cup \ldots \cup Z_{r - 1} ) \cap Z_ r. Hence

\Delta = (U \cap Z_ r) \setminus (U \cap V)

does not contain any element of T. Note that \Delta is a closed subset of U. By prime avoidance (Algebra, Lemma 10.15.2), we can find a standard open U' of U containing T \cap U and avoiding \Delta , i.e., U' \cap Z_ r \subset U \cap V. After replacing U by U' we may assume that U \cap V is closed in U.

Using that by the same arguments as above also the set \Delta ' = (U \cap (Z_1 \cup \ldots \cup Z_{r - 1})) \setminus (U \cap V) does not contain any element of T we find a h \in \mathcal{O}(V) such that D(h) \subset V contains T \cap V and such that U \cap D(h) \subset U \cap V. Using that U \cap V is closed in U we can use Lemma 33.42.5 to find an element g \in \mathcal{O}(U) whose restriction to U \cap V equals the restriction of h to U \cap V and such that T \cap U \subset D(g). Then we can replace U by D(g) and V by D(h) to reach the situation where U \cap V is closed in both U and V. In this case the scheme U \cup V is affine by Limits, Lemma 32.11.3. This proves the induction step and thereby the lemma. \square

Here is a conclusion we can draw from the material above.

Proposition 33.42.7. Let X be a separated scheme such that every quasi-compact open has a finite number of irreducible components. Let x_1, \ldots , x_ r \in X be points such that \mathcal{O}_{X, x_ i} is Noetherian of dimension \leq 1. Then there exists an affine open subscheme of X containing all of x_1, \ldots , x_ r.

Proof. We can replace X by a quasi-compact open containing x_1, \ldots , x_ r hence we may assume that X has finitely many irreducible components. By Lemma 33.42.6 we reduce to the case where X is integral. This case is Lemma 33.42.4. \square


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