For an injective ring homomorphism between nonzero integral domains , the scheme-theoretic fibre over the generic point of is with . Localization at these nonzero elements is a nonzero integral domain, so the generic fibre is a nonempty integral scheme. A surjective morphism between these affine schemes necessarily gives an injective ring map: a prime above contains its kernel.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 113 1 iii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
The rings are nonzero integral domains. Let be the generic point of , corresponding to . Surjectivity provides a prime ideal with . Since , the ring homomorphism is injective.
Put and . The scheme-theoretic fibre at isEvery element of is nonzero, so the localization is a nonzero integral domain. Its zero ideal is prime, ensuring that its spectrum is nonempty; an affine spectrum of an integral domain is an integral scheme. This proves the integrality of the generic fibre of an affine dominant morphism. In fact the proof only needs injectivity of , rather than surjectivity at every point.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 iii Paper 113 1 iv Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
Use the ring homomorphism given by . The source scheme is an integral scheme. At the rational point , its residue field is , and its scheme-theoretic fibre isThe class of is nonzero but has square zero, so this is not a reduced scheme. This example works over every field. An integral total space therefore need not have reduced fibres.