Ringed space

A ringed space $(X,{\mathcal{O}}_X)$ is a topological space $X$ equipped with a sheaf of rings ${\mathcal{O}}_X$. A morphism consists of a continuous map $f:X\to Y$ and a compatible morphism $f^{-1}{\mathcal{O}}_Y\to {\mathcal{O}}_X$.

A morphism of ringed spaces $f:(X,{\mathcal{O}}_X)\to (Y,{\mathcal{O}}_Y)$ consists of a continuous map $f:X\to Y$ and a morphism of sheaves of rings $f^{-1}{\mathcal{O}}_Y\to {\mathcal{O}}_X$.

A sheaf of rings assigns a ring $\mathcal{O}(U)$ to every open set, restriction homomorphisms to inclusions, and satisfies local identity and gluing. It supplies the local functions on a ringed space.

This is a ring-valued Sheaf (mathematics), with ring homomorphisms as restriction maps.

A sheaf of topological rings takes values in topological rings, with continuous restriction maps. For an open cover, the sheaf condition is an equalizer of the product of sections on the cover and the product on pairwise overlaps, in the category of topological rings. The structure sheaf of a formal scheme is an inverse limit of discrete structure sheaves with this topology.

// Target: algebra.bigb

A locally ringed space is a ringed space whose stalk ${\mathcal{O}}_{X,x}$ is a local ring at every point. Morphisms of locally ringed spaces induce local homomorphisms on stalks.

A morphism is a continuous map $f:X\to Y$ together with a homomorphism ${\mathcal{O}}_Y\to f_{\ast }{\mathcal{O}}_X$ of sheaves of rings whose induced map on every stalk is a local homomorphism. Applied to schemes, this is exactly a morphism of schemes.

A scheme is a locally ringed space covered by open subsets isomorphic to spectra of commutative rings. It retains both the points defined by prime ideals and the local algebra of functions around them.

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.

A scheme is locally Noetherian if it has an affine open cover by spectra of Noetherian rings. It is a Noetherian scheme exactly when it is also a quasi-compact scheme: a finite subcover then supplies the required finite affine open cover. An infinite gluing of spectra of Noetherian rings along open subschemes is still locally Noetherian, but need not be a quasi-compact scheme.

The functor of points describes a scheme through its morphisms from test schemes. On commutative rings, it is covariant because a ring homomorphism reverses the corresponding affine-scheme map. A functor on rings is represented by $X$ in the algebraic-geometric sense when it is naturally isomorphic to $h_X$. The representing scheme need not be affine; this is different from demanding a representable functor in the category of rings itself.

// Target: module-theory.bigb

Let $A$ be a commutative ring and $I$ an ideal all of whose elements are nilpotent elements. Every ring homomorphism from $A$ to a field kills $I$, because a field has no nonzero nilpotent elements. Thus the closed immersion $\mathrm{Spec}(A/I)\hookrightarrow \mathrm{Spec}A$ induces a bijection on points valued in every field, even when it is not an isomorphism of schemes. The dual numbers provide the smallest example. Testing the functor of points on all affine schemes does detect this information, by affine test schemes determine scheme morphisms.

Restricting the functor of points to affine schemes gives a fully faithful functor from schemes to covariant set-valued functors on commutative rings. Given a natural transformation, apply it to the inclusions of an affine open cover of $X$. Naturality on affine open subschemes of overlaps makes the resulting maps to $Y$ agree, so they glue. For an arbitrary map from an affine scheme to $X$, cover its inverse images of these charts by affine open subschemes and apply naturality again. This proves that the glued map induces the prescribed natural transformation, and uniqueness follows from the original cover. In particular, the restricted functor of points determines the scheme up to an isomorphism of schemes.

A Zariski sheaf $F$ is a functor represented by a scheme if it has a set of open subfunctors represented by affine schemes whose pullbacks cover every test scheme. The overlaps are open subschemes in both charts, and their identifications satisfy the compatibility on triple overlaps. Gluing of schemes along open subschemes produces a representing scheme; the Zariski sheaf condition identifies its functor of points with $F$. Conversely, every affine open cover of a scheme supplies such a presentation. A family of local charts covers in this sense without requiring every global element to belong to a single chart.

A subfunctor $H\subseteq F$ on the opposite of the category of schemes is open if every natural transformation $h_T\to F$ pulls it back to a functor represented by a scheme $U$, with the projection represented by an open immersion $U\hookrightarrow T$. Thus membership in $H$ defines an open subscheme in every family parameterized by $T$. This condition is preserved by further pullbacks.

Given schemes $X_i$ and isomorphisms between designated open subschemes satisfying inverse and cocycle conditions, identify the underlying open spaces and glue their structure sheaves. The resulting locally ringed space is locally one of the $X_i$, hence a scheme. The same construction works for formal schemes and topological structure sheaves. Compatible morphisms out of the charts glue uniquely.

// Target: ringed-space.bigb

A formal scheme is a locally ringed space with a sheaf of topological rings that is locally a formal spectrum of a complete adic ring. An ordinary scheme is the special case of the discrete topology. A formal completion of a scheme retains all infinitesimal neighbourhoods of a closed subscheme, rather than just that subscheme.

// Target: ringed-space.bigb

For a closed subscheme with ideal sheaf $\mathcal{I}$ in a locally Noetherian scheme, the completion is the formal scheme on $|Y|$ with topological structure sheaf ${\underleftarrow{\lim }}_n({\mathcal{O}}_X/{\mathcal{I}}^{n+1}){|}_{|Y|}$. On a Noetherian affine scheme $\mathrm{Spec}A$, it is $\mathrm{Spf}({\underleftarrow{\lim }}_{n}A/I^{n+1})$. Its adic topology remembers every infinitesimal neighbourhood.

// Target: commutative-algebra.bigb

Restricting the topological structure sheaf of a formal completion of a scheme to an open subscheme commutes with its inverse limit: both sheaves are ${\underleftarrow{\lim }}_n({\mathcal{O}}_U/(\mathcal{I}{|}_U{)}^{n+1})$ on $|U\cap Y|$. Equivalently, the identical infinitesimal neighbourhoods have identical restricted structure sheaves. On formal affine charts this uses completed localization of an adic ring.

// Target: toric-geometry.bigb

For a complete ring with an adic topology defined by $I$, the formal spectrum has the prime ideals containing $I$ as its points and structure sheaf ${\underleftarrow{\lim }}_n{\mathcal{O}}_{\mathrm{Spec}(A/I^{n+1})}$. On a principal open subset $D(f)$ its sections form the completed localization of an adic ring, not generally the ordinary localization $A_f$.

// Target: ringed-space.bigb

A morphism of schemes is smooth when it is locally of finite presentation, flat and has geometrically regular fibres. Smooth fibres alone do not imply that a morphism is smooth: flatness and the dimension behaviour matter as well. The Abel map of an algebraic curve has smooth projective space fibres whose dimensions can jump.

A morphism of schemes is étale when it is flat, unramified and locally of finite presentation. For a morphism between smooth varieties of the same dimension, an invertible differential gives this property locally. A finite étale morphism over an algebraically closed field has reduced finite fibres, and their cardinalities equal its degree when the source and target are connected.

A finite étale morphism is both a finite morphism and an étale morphism. Affine-locally it is represented by a finite locally free algebra with zero module of Kähler differentials. Its fibres are finite products of finite separable field extensions. For an elliptic curve with good reduction at a prime not dividing $m$, multiplication by $m$ on its smooth proper group model is finite étale of degree $m^2$: its differential is multiplication by the unit $m$. A division torsor of a section consequently gives an unramified local extension, the good-prime input to the Weak Mordell-Weil theorem.

A scheme is quasi-compact when its underlying topological space is quasi-compact: every open cover has a finite subcover. Since affine open subsets form a base, this is equivalent to possessing a finite affine open cover. Every affine scheme is quasi-compact.

An open subscheme of a scheme $X$ is an open subset $U$ equipped with the restriction of its structure sheaf. Its inclusion is an open immersion. Every scheme is covered by affine open subschemes. Any nonempty open subscheme of an integral scheme is integral and has the same generic point and function field.

An irreducible scheme is one whose underlying topological space is a nonempty irreducible topological space. It can have nilpotent elements in its structure sheaf; irreducibility concerns only the topology. A reduced scheme is an integral scheme precisely when it is irreducible.

The dimension of a scheme is the supremum of the lengths of strict chains of irreducible closed subsets of its underlying topological space. On an affine scheme it is the Krull dimension of its coordinate ring. Taking the reduced subscheme leaves the dimension unchanged.

The structure morphism of a scheme $X$ is its unique morphism $X\to \mathrm{Spec}\mathbb{Z}$. More generally, an $S$-scheme comes equipped with a specified morphism to the base scheme $S$.

A scheme $X$ has characteristic $p$ when $p\cdot 1=0$ in its structure sheaf of a scheme. Equivalently, its structure morphism $X\to \mathrm{Spec}\mathbb{Z}$ factors through $\mathrm{Spec}{\mathbb{F}}_p$.

The absolute Frobenius morphism of a scheme of characteristic p is the identity on the underlying topological space and raises every local function to its $p$th power. On an affine chart $\mathrm{Spec}A$ it is induced contravariantly by the Frobenius endomorphism $A\to A$, $a\mapsto a^p$. It need not be an isomorphism of schemes, even when it acts invertibly on global sections.

The algebraic Frobenius endomorphism induces this scheme map contravariantly on affine charts.

For a finite surjective map of normal integral schemes with function fields $K\subseteq L$ in characteristic $p$, the condition $L^p\subseteq K$ lets the Absolute Frobenius morphism of the source factor through the map. On an affine chart $A\subseteq B$, send $b$ to $b^p\in A$: it lies in $K$, is integral over $A$, and $A$ is integrally closed. The condition $K\subseteq L^p$ instead lets the map factor after the source Frobenius. Send $a$ to its unique $p$th root in $L$; that root lies in the normal ring $B$ because it satisfies a monic polynomial over $B$. These rules localize and glue; injectivity of Frobenius in the function field supplies uniqueness.

The structure sheaf ${\mathcal{O}}_X$ records the regular functions on every open subset of a scheme $X$. Its stalk ${\mathcal{O}}_{X,x}$ is the local ring of functions defined near $x$.

The nilradical sheaf of a scheme is the ideal sheaf of locally nilpotent sections in its structure sheaf. On an affine open subscheme $\mathrm{Spec}A$ it is the quasi-coherent sheaf associated to the nilradical of $A$, since the nilradical commutes with localization. Its quotient defines the reduced induced subscheme. On a Noetherian scheme it has a uniform nilpotence exponent: take nilpotence bounds on a finite affine open cover and use their maximum. On a general scheme, a locally nilpotent section need not have a single nilpotence exponent over a non-quasi-compact open subset.

A global idempotent on a scheme is zero or one in every local ring. Its one-locus is both open and closed. Conversely a clopen subset determines a global idempotent by gluing one on it and zero on its complement. Under this correspondence, decompositions into nonzero orthogonal idempotents correspond to disjoint clopen decompositions. When all connected components are open, the primitive idempotents correspond exactly to those components. Without orthogonality the assertion fails in characteristic two: $(1,0)=(1,1)+(0,1)$ in ${\mathbb{F}}_2\times {\mathbb{F}}_2$.

The units in the structure sheaf of a scheme form a multiplicative sheaf of abelian groups. On a smooth algebraic curve, a nonzero rational function is a unit at a point precisely when its discrete valuation there is zero. Its inclusion in the sheaf of nonzero rational functions on an irreducible variety relates divisor on an algebraic curve to the Picard group through the long exact sequence in sheaf cohomology.

A regular function on an open subset $U$ of a scheme $X$ is a section of ${\mathcal{O}}_X(U)$. On an affine variety it is locally a quotient of polynomial functions with a denominator that does not vanish.

On a variety, a regular function is a regular map to the affine line; the arbitrary-target regular-map concept is broader.

A global regular function is a global section of the structure sheaf of a scheme, defined on the entire scheme. These functions form its ring $H^0(X,{\mathcal{O}}_X)$. On an affine scheme this recovers the defining ring; on a positive-dimensional projective complete intersection it consists only of constants over the base field.

A regular function $f$ on an entire affine variety is a polynomial function, even if the variety is reducible. Put $J=\{g\in A(X):gf\in A(X)\}$, an ideal of its coordinate ring. Near a point $p$, write $f=a/b$ with $b$ nonzero, and choose a principal open subset $D(h)$ containing $p$ inside that neighbourhood. Then $(hb)f=ha$ on all of $X$: on $D(h)$ this is the fraction identity, and off $D(h)$ both sides vanish. Hence $hb\in J$ and $(hb)(p)\ne 0$. No point is a common zero of $J$, so the weak Hilbert Nullstellensatz implies $J=A(X)$. Thus $1\in J$ and $f\in A(X)$. This proof does not require a fraction field for a reducible coordinate ring.

Over an algebraically closed field, every regular function on a nonempty irreducible projective variety is constant. Regard the function as a morphism to ${\mathbb{P}}^1$ avoiding infinity. Its graph is closed; the closedness of projection from projective space makes its image closed in ${\mathbb{P}}^1$. A proper closed subset there is finite, and an irreducible finite image is a singleton. Irreducibility is the usual variety convention; on a disconnected projective algebraic set different components may have different constants.

For $W={\mathbb{A}}_k^2\setminus \{0\}$, restriction to $D(x)$ and $D(y)$ givesThe intersection is taken in $k(x,y)$ and the equality follows from unique factorization: a reduced denominator dividing powers of both $x$ and $y$ is a unit. The inclusion $W\hookrightarrow {\mathbb{A}}^2$ induces an isomorphism on global functions but is not an isomorphism, so $W$ is not an affine variety.

A scheme is reduced when every local ring ${\mathcal{O}}_{X,x}$ is a reduced ring, equivalently when its structure sheaf has no nonzero nilpotent element. The affine scheme $\mathrm{Spec}A$ is reduced exactly when $A$ is reduced.

A Noetherian scheme with no embedded associated primes is reduced if it is reduced at all its generic points. Locally, a nonzero nilpotent ideal would have an associated prime, necessarily a minimal prime. Its localization there would be nonzero, contradicting generic reducedness. This is useful with the unmixedness of a complete intersection.

An integral scheme is a nonempty scheme that is both reduced and irreducible. An affine scheme $\mathrm{Spec}A$ is integral exactly when $A$ is an integral domain.

On an integral scheme $X$, every nonempty open $U$ contains its generic point $\eta$. Taking a germ gives an injective ring homomorphism from its regular functions to the function field ${\mathcal{O}}_{X,\eta }$. Injectivity follows on each nonempty affine open subscheme from the injection of an integral domain into its field of fractions, and then from the sheaf gluing axiom. This lets regular functions on different open subsets be compared inside one field.

A group scheme over a base scheme $S$ is an $S$-scheme $G$ with multiplication $m:G{\times }_{S}G\to G$, an identity section $e:S\to G$, and inversion $i:G\to G$ satisfying the group axioms as equalities of morphisms.

A homomorphism of group schemes $f:H\to G$ is a morphism over the base that commutes with multiplication: $f\circ m_H=m_G\circ (f\times f)$. It consequently preserves the identity and inversion.

For a commutative group scheme $G$, the multiplication-by-$n$ morphism $[n{]}_G:G\to G$ adds a point to itself $n$ times. On an abelian variety, it is surjective for every nonzero integer $n$.

A scheme is nonreduced when its structure sheaf contains a nonzero nilpotent element. For an affine scheme $\mathrm{Spec}(A/I)$, this is equivalent to the ideal $I$ not being radical.

The spectrum of the dual number ring $k[ϵ]/({ϵ}^2)$ is a nonreduced scheme of length two supported at one point. Its nonzero nilpotent $ϵ$ retains first-order information that the underlying singleton topological space forgets. It differs from the disjoint union of two reduced $k$-points.

A scheme over an algebraically closed field is punctual when its underlying topological space consists of one closed rational point. It may have nontrivial nilpotent structure, such as $\mathrm{Spec}k[\epsilon ]/({\epsilon }^2)$.

The spectrum $\mathrm{Spec}A$ of a commutative ring $A$ is the set of its prime ideals, with closed sets $V(I)=\{\mathfrak{p}:I\subseteq \mathfrak{p}\}$ and a structure sheaf whose sections locally look like fractions.

Contraction sends the zero prime ideal to zero. A complex closed point $(x-z)$ contracts to $(x-z)$ when $z$ is real, and to $((x-\mathrm{Re}z{)}^2+(\mathrm{Im}z{)}^2)$ otherwise. Thus the map on the spectrum of a commutative ring is surjective and identifies each nonreal conjugate pair. Both spectra have only finite proper Zariski-closed sets, so this is also the topological quotient by complex conjugation.

For a reduced ring with a nonempty disconnected spectrum of a commutative ring, choose a separation $V(I)\bigsqcup V(J)$. Disjointness gives $I+J=R$; covering the spectrum gives $IJ\subseteq \sqrt{(0)}=0$. For comaximal ideals, $I\cap J=IJ$. The Chinese remainder theorem then supplies a product of two nonzero quotient rings. Equivalently, if $i+j=1$ with $i\in I$, $j\in J$, then $i,j$ are nontrivial orthogonal idempotents. This connects topology of the spectrum to ring product decomposition by an idempotent without a Noetherian assumption.

An affine scheme is a scheme isomorphic to $\mathrm{Spec}A$ for some commutative ring $A$. Homomorphisms $A\to B$ correspond contravariantly to morphisms $\mathrm{Spec}B\to \mathrm{Spec}A$.

Suppose a scheme is the scheme-theoretic union of affine closed subschemes $Y=\mathrm{Spec}A$ and $Z=\mathrm{Spec}B$, meaning their ideal sheaves have zero intersection. The intersection $W$ is closed in both, hence affine with coordinate ring $C$ and surjections $A\to C$, $B\to C$. Then the whole scheme is $\mathrm{Spec}(A{\times }_{C}B)$. Both projections of this fiber product are surjective; their kernels have zero intersection and product, and their quotient by the sum is $C$. Thus its spectrum has the same closed pieces, intersection and topology. The structure sheaf is the kernel of $i_{\ast }{\mathcal{O}}_Y\oplus j_{\ast }{\mathcal{O}}_Z\to k_{\ast }{\mathcal{O}}_W$ on both spaces, identifying their locally ringed structures. A reduced Noetherian scheme has finitely many irreducible components, so induction proves it is affine if and only if its reduced irreducible components are affine. The intersection $W$ need not be reduced.

A Noetherian scheme is affine exactly when every coherent ideal sheaf has zero first sheaf cohomology. One direction is vanishing of quasi-coherent cohomology on an affine scheme. For the converse, ideal-sheaf vanishing produces affine principal neighbourhoods from ideal-sheaf vanishing. A finite such cover yields a unit-ideal certificate from a principal affine cover, and those affine charts glue to the spectrum of a commutative ring of global sections. The criterion, including the finite-type ideal version for quasi-compact quasi-separated schemes, is recorded in Stacks Project, Section 30.3.

If finitely many $X_{f_i}$ cover $X$, the morphism ${\mathcal{O}}_X^r\to {\mathcal{O}}_X$ with coefficients $f_i$ is onto. If its kernel has vanishing first sheaf cohomology, the long exact sequence in sheaf cohomology lifts the global section $1$ to coefficients $g_i$. This turns a geometric cover into a unit ideal in the ring of global sections.

Let $P$ have an affine open neighbourhood $U$, and let $Y=X\setminus U$. Evaluation gives ${\mathcal{I}}_Y\twoheadrightarrow k_P$ with kernel ${\mathcal{I}}_Y\cap {\mathcal{I}}_P$. If first sheaf cohomology of every coherent ideal sheaf vanishes, a global section $f$ of ${\mathcal{I}}_Y$ can be chosen with $f(P)=1$. Then $X_f\subseteq U$ is a principal open subset of an affine variety and is affine.

If $H^1(X,\mathcal{I})=0$ for every coherent ideal sheaf, projection to the last coordinate makes any coherent $\mathcal{F}\subseteq {\mathcal{O}}_X^r$ an extension of a coherent submodule of ${\mathcal{O}}_X^{r-1}$ by an ideal sheaf. The long exact sequence in sheaf cohomology proves the assertion by mathematical induction on $r$.

For an affine scheme $X=\mathrm{Spec}A$, its ring of global sections is $A$. A morphism of schemes between affine schemes is determined contravariantly by its map on these rings. Consequently a morphism between affine schemes is an isomorphism of schemes exactly when that ring map is an isomorphism. The affine hypothesis is essential, as the punctured affine plane shows.

An affine open subscheme is an open subset of a scheme with its restricted structure sheaf, which is itself an affine scheme. Every scheme has an open cover by such subschemes. On an affine scheme, the principal open subschemes give an open basis.

An open subset of an algebraic variety equipped with an identification with an affine variety. Such charts make quasi-coherent sheaves and regular maps accessible through their local coordinate rings.

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.

The affine line over a field $k$ is ${\mathbb{A}}_k^1=\mathrm{Spec}k[t]$.

The one-dimensional scheme has an affine space of rational points over its base field; its scheme structure also records non-rational points and local rings.

Glue two copies of the affine line over a base along the principal open subset $D(t)$ by the identity. This scheme has two copies of the zero section and a canonical morphism of schemes to the original affine line. Over $\mathbb{Z}$, its functor of points assigns to a commutative ring $R$ the pairs $(r,e)$ with $e$ an idempotent in $R/(r)$. Indeed, $r$ gives the map to the affine line, while $e$ partitions $V(r)$ into the two clopen sets assigned to the zero sections. Complementing the opposite part gives two open subsets covering $\mathrm{Spec}R$, whose intersection is $D(r)$; the coordinate $r$ defines maps on them which glue. This also proves that no lifting of $e$ to an idempotent of $R$ is necessary.

The affine plane over a field $k$ is the affine scheme $\mathrm{Spec}k[x,y]$.

The two-dimensional scheme has an affine space of rational points over its base field; its scheme structure also records non-rational points and local rings.

The points of the real affine plane as a scheme are its prime ideals: the zero ideal, the principal ideals of irreducible real polynomials, and its maximal ideals. The latter have residue field $\mathbb{R}$ or $\mathbb{C}$, by the Zariski lemma and the real closed field property. They correspond respectively to real coordinate pairs and conjugate pairs of nonreal complex coordinate pairs. Thus the scheme contains both nonclosed generic points and closed points absent from the real locus. Its topology is the Zariski topology, and its structure sheaf has sections $\mathbb{R}[x,y{]}_h$ on each principal open subscheme $D(h)$.

The punctured affine plane is obtained by deleting the closed point $(x,y)$ from $\mathrm{Spec}k[x,y]$. Its regular functions still form $k[x,y]$, whilewhich has basis represented by $x^{-a}{y}^{-b}$ for $a,b\ge 1$.

The punctured affine plane $U={\mathbb{A}}_k^2\setminus \{(0,0)\}$ is not an affine scheme. On its cover $D(x)\cup D(y)$, global sections are $k[x,y{]}_x\cap k[x,y{]}_y=k[x,y]$ inside the field of fractions. Coprimality of $x$ and $y$ proves this equality. If $U$ were affine, its inclusion into ${\mathbb{A}}_k^2$ would be an isomorphism by affine scheme reconstruction from global sections, contradicting the omitted point.

Affine three-space is $\mathrm{Spec}k[x_1,x_2,x_3]$.

The three-dimensional scheme has an affine space of rational points over its base field; its scheme structure also records non-rational points and local rings.

For $U={\mathbb{A}}_k^3\setminus \{0\}$,andThe last group has basis represented by $x_1^{-a}{x}_2^{-b}{x}_3^{-c}$ for $a,b,c\ge 1$, and all groups in degrees at least three vanish.

A Noetherian scheme has a finite cover by affine schemes $\mathrm{Spec}{A}_i$ with each $A_i$ a Noetherian ring. Equivalently, it is quasi-compact and locally Noetherian.

A locally Noetherian scheme is regular when every local ring ${\mathcal{O}}_{X,x}$ is a regular local ring.

A Noetherian scheme is regular in codimension one when every local ring at a codimension-one point is regular. For an integral scheme these local rings are then discrete valuation rings.

An integral locally Noetherian scheme is normal when every local ring is an integrally closed domain.

More generally a scheme is normal when every local ring is an integrally closed domain; the scheme need not be globally integral, for example a disjoint union of normal integral components.

For an integral scheme, take on each affine chart the integral closure of its coordinate ring in its function field. Integral closure commutes with localization, so these rings glue to a normal scheme with an integral birational morphism to the original scheme. This is the normalization. It need not be finite without additional hypotheses; for an algebraic curve of finite type over a field it is finite. It is an isomorphism exactly when the original scheme is normal.

An algebraic variety whose local rings are integrally closed domains. In particular an irreducible variety that is a normal variety has normal affine coordinate rings, enabling codimension-two extension of regular functions on a normal variety.

A singular point on a normal two-dimensional algebraic variety has an integrally closed local domain which is not a regular local ring. A rational double point is an important isolated example with a crepant minimal resolution.

A rational double point is a normal surface singularity whose minimal resolution has a configuration of smooth rational $(-2)$-curves of type $A$, $D$ or $E$. Birational projective models of K3 surfaces arising from nef big systems contract orthogonal $(-2)$-curves to these singularities.

Over an algebraically closed field of characteristic different from two, a nondegenerate quadratic form of rank at least three is irreducible, its cone has only the vertex singular, and its hypersurface ring is Cohen-Macaulay. Thus $(R_1)$ and $(S_2)$ in the Serre criterion for normality hold. In characteristic two, the reduced zero variety of ${\sum }_i{t}_i^2$ is instead the hyperplane ${\sum }_i{t}_i=0$, which is normal. The unreduced double-hyperplane scheme is not normal.

For an integral normal variety that is Noetherian, removing a closed subset of codimension at least two does not create new regular functions. Affine-locally, a normal Noetherian domain is the intersection of its localizations at height-one primes inside its fraction field. The complement still contains every height-one point, so a regular function on it lies in each such localization and therefore in the original ring. On projective space this also follows directly by excluding irreducible polynomial factor of the denominators on each polynomial affine chart.

A Noetherian ring is normal exactly when it satisfies $(R_1)$, regularity in codimension one, and $(S_2)$, depth at least $\min (2,\dim )$ at every localization.

A morphism of schemes is a morphism of locally ringed spaces. On affine schemes it is contravariantly equivalent to a homomorphism of their coordinate rings.

If $X={\bigcup }_i{U}_i$ is an open cover by open subschemes, and morphisms of schemes $f_i:U_i\to Y$ agree on every overlap, there is a unique morphism of schemes $f:X\to Y$ restricting to them. The underlying continuous maps glue because their restrictions agree. The maps of structure sheaves glue using the sheaf gluing axiom, and the required local condition on stalks can be checked on the original cover. No affineness or separation assumption on $X$, $Y$, or the overlaps is needed. This is the local construction behind affine test schemes determine scheme morphisms.

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.

A morphism of schemes is quasi-compact if the inverse image of every quasi-compact open subset is quasi-compact. It suffices to test affine open subschemes of the target. This is a relative condition: the source need not be a quasi-compact scheme when the target is not one.

For morphisms of schemes $f:X\to Y$ and $g:Y\to Z$, the graph is the displayed map. It is the pullback of the diagonal morphism $Y\to Y{\times }_{Z}Y$ along $(f\circ p_X,p_Y)$. Thus a separated morphism $g$ makes ${\Gamma }_f$ a closed immersion. If also $g\circ f$ is a closed immersion, the projection $X{\times }_{Z}Y\to Y$ is a closed immersion by base change of a morphism of schemes, and its composite with ${\Gamma }_f$ proves that $f$ is a closed immersion.