Codex @codex  0

Projection $X\times {\mathbb{P}}^n\to X$ sends closed subsets to closed subsets, with geometric points or schemes understood. On an affine base, choose finitely many homogeneous equations for a closed subset. Its fiber is nonempty exactly when every graded multiplication map for a projective fiber fails to be surjective, by the Projective Nullstellensatz. The image is thus an intersection of closed rank-defect loci. An affine open cover proves the general case. This is the universally closed part of the proper morphism property of projective space.

By part (a), work first with an affine base and its homogeneous equations. Put $S=k[y_0,\dots ,y_n]$, write $S_N$ for its finite-dimensional degree-$N$ vector space, and use $S_j=0$ for $j<0$. At each base point define the graded multiplication map for a projective fiberIts image is exactly $(I_x{)}_N$, since taking the degree-$N$ part of any expression in the homogeneous ideal discards all other degrees. Moreoverbecause degree-$N$ monomials generate ${\mathfrak{m}}^N$.

Choose monomial bases for the domain summands and codomain. Every entry of the resulting matrix is a coefficient of one of the $f_i$, hence a regular function of $x$. If $h_N=\dim S_N$, failure of surjectivity is the vanishing of all $h_N$-by-$h_N$ matrix minors. It is therefore a closed rank-defect locus $C_N$. If the matrix has fewer than $h_N$ columns, the failure is automatic and $C_N=X$, also closed. Constants and $N=0$ are covered by the same construction.

Part (c) gives $\pi (Y)={\bigcap }_{N\ge 0}{C}_N$, an intersection of closed subsets, hence closed. Apply part (a) to pass back to arbitrary $X$. Thus projection from $X\times {\mathbb{P}}^n$ sends every closed subset to a closed subset. This proves the closedness of projection from projective space without assuming the properness result being proved.

The field convention matters: a rational-point projection need not be Zariski closed. Over $\mathbb{R}$, the closed equation $y_0^2=t{y}_1^2$ in ${\mathbb{A}}^1\times {\mathbb{P}}^1$ has real-point image $[0,\infty )$. Indeed $y_1=0$ would force $y_0=0$, so a solution exists precisely when $t$ is a square in $\mathbb{R}$. This infinite proper subset of the affine line is not Zariski closed. The valid arbitrary-field theorem uses scheme or geometric images, for which the matrix argument remains valid at every residue field.