Schemes are Kolmogorov spaces Created 2026-10-25 Updated 2026-11-05
The underlying topological space of every scheme is a Kolmogorov space: any two distinct points are distinguished by an open subset containing just one. Choose an affine open subscheme containing the first point. If it omits the second, it already distinguishes them. Otherwise, the two points correspond to distinct prime ideals, and an element in one but not the other defines a principal open subscheme distinguishing them. Thus distinct points of a scheme have distinct closures.
Separation axiom Created 2026-10-06 Updated 2026-10-14
A separation axiom is a condition on a topological space expressing how points or closed subsets can be distinguished by open sets. The Kolmogorov space condition distinguishes distinct points by some open set; the T1 space condition makes every point closed; the stronger Hausdorff space condition gives disjoint neighbourhoods to distinct points.