Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2026 / iii / Paper 113 / 4 / c / Solution

Write $X=\mathrm{Spec}B$, $Y=\mathrm{Spec}A$, and let the morphism correspond to a homomorphism $\phi :A\to B$. Put $I=\ker \phi$ andThe injection $A/I\hookrightarrow B$ gives $X\to Z$, and the quotient $A\to A/I$ gives a closed immersion $Z\hookrightarrow Y$, so $f$ factors through $Z$.

If $f$ factors through another closed subscheme $Z^{\prime }=\mathrm{Spec}(A/J)$, then $J\subseteq \ker \phi =I$. The resulting quotient $A/J\to A/I$ induces the unique factorization $Z\to Z^{\prime }\to Y$. Thus $Z$ is the scheme-theoretic image.

It remains to identify its underlying set. A principal open subscheme $D(a)\subseteq \mathrm{Spec}A$ misses $f(X)$ exactly when $D(\phi (a))$ is empty, equivalently when $\phi (a)$ is a nilpotent element. Hence the ideal of functions vanishing set-theoretically on $f(X)$ has radical $\sqrt{\ker \phi }$. The closure is thereforeas required.