Principal open subscheme ($D(f)$)

For $f\in A$, the principal open subset $D(f)=\{\mathfrak{p}:f\notin \mathfrak{p}\}$ of $\mathrm{Spec}A$ is the affine scheme $\mathrm{Spec}{A}_f$.

In an affine variety with coordinate ring $A$, every dense open subset $U$ contains a dense principal open subset. Write its closed complement as $V(I)$. Density says that $I$ is contained in none of the finitely many minimal prime ideals of the reduced ring $A$. Prime avoidance supplies $s\in I$ outside all these primes. Thus $D(s)\subseteq U$, and $s$ is a non-zero-divisor. Noetherian Zariski topology also makes $U$ a finite union of principal opens; one can add $D(s)$ to this cover. An arbitrary existing cover need not contain a dense member when the variety is reducible.