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A finite-type morphism of schemes is quasi-finite if its fibres are finite discrete schemes. A proper quasi-finite morphism is a finite morphism. In particular, a proper finite-type morphism of projective varieties with no positive-dimensional fibres is finite; a positive-dimensional projective fibre would contain an integral curve.

A morphism of schemes $f:X\to S$ is quasi-separated if its diagonal morphism $X\to X{\times }_{S}X$ is a quasi-compact morphism. Every separated morphism has this property since a closed immersion is a quasi-compact morphism. This compactness condition is needed when uniqueness in the valuative criterion is used to deduce separatedness for arbitrary schemes.

The fibre of a morphism of schemes over $y\in Y$ is its base change to the residue field $\kappa (y)$. For $\mathrm{Spec}B\to \mathrm{Spec}A$, with $y$ corresponding to $\mathfrak{p}$, its fibre ring is $B{\otimes }_A\kappa (\mathfrak{p})$. Its structure sheaf records nilpotents and multiplicities that the set-theoretic inverse image cannot see.

If $X\to Y$ is a surjective morphism of schemes, the projection $X{\times }_Y{Y}^{\prime }\to Y^{\prime }$ is surjective for every $Y^{\prime }\to Y$. For a point $y\prime$, choose a point $x$ over its base image and apply the point-lifting property of a scheme fibre product. No flatness assumption is necessary.

For a finite-type morphism of schemes, local fibre dimension is upper semicontinuous on the source, in the displayed sense. If the morphism is proper, the maximal fibre dimension is also upper semicontinuous on the target. Without properness a component of a large fibre can disappear from the source over a special point, so the target statement is not valid in that generality. The Stacks Project: dimension of fibres distinguishes these statements.