The Stacks project

Proof. Assume $\mathcal{Z} \times _\mathcal {Y} \mathcal{X} \to \mathcal{Z}$ has $\mathcal{P}$. Choose an algebraic space $W$ and a surjective smooth morphism $W \to \mathcal{Z}$. Observe that $W \times _\mathcal {Z} \mathcal{Z} \times _\mathcal {Y} \mathcal{X} = W \times _\mathcal {Y} \mathcal{X}$. Thus by the very definition of what it means for $\mathcal{Z} \times _\mathcal {Y} \mathcal{X} \to \mathcal{Z}$ to have $\mathcal{P}$ (see Definition 101.16.2 and Lemma 101.16.1) we see that $W \times _\mathcal {Y} \mathcal{X} \to W$ has $\mathcal{P}$. On the other hand, $W \to \mathcal{Z}$ is surjective, flat, and locally of finite presentation (Morphisms of Spaces, Lemmas 67.37.7 and 67.37.5) hence $W \to \mathcal{Y}$ is surjective, flat, and locally of finite presentation (by Properties of Stacks, Lemma 100.5.2 and Lemmas 101.25.2 and 101.27.2). Thus we may replace $\mathcal{Z}$ by $W$.

Choose an algebraic space $V$ and a surjective smooth morphism $V \to \mathcal{Y}$. Choose an algebraic space $U$ and a surjective smooth morphism $U \to V \times _\mathcal {Y} \mathcal{X}$. We have to show that $U \to V$ has $\mathcal{P}$. Now we base change everything by $W \to \mathcal{Y}$: Set $U' = W \times _\mathcal {Y} U$, $V' = W \times _\mathcal {Y} V$, $\mathcal{X}' = W \times _\mathcal {Y} \mathcal{X}$, and $\mathcal{Y}' = W \times _\mathcal {Y} \mathcal{Y} = W$. Then it is still true that $U' \to V' \times _{\mathcal{Y}'} \mathcal{X}'$ is smooth by base change. Hence by Lemma 101.16.1 used in the definition of $\mathcal{X}' \to \mathcal{Y}' = W$ having $\mathcal{P}$ we see that $U' \to V'$ has $\mathcal{P}$. Then, since $V' \to V$ is surjective, flat, and locally of finite presentation as a base change of $W \to \mathcal{Y}$ we see that $U \to V$ has $\mathcal{P}$ as $\mathcal{P}$ is local in the fppf topology on the target. $\square$