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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 presheaf $F:{\mathsf{Sch}}^{\mathrm{op}}\to \mathsf{Set}$ is a Zariski sheaf when every Zariski cover $(U_i\to T)$ gives an equalizer diagramThus compatible local elements glue to a unique element of $F(T)$. Compatibility means that the two restrictions agree on every intersection. This includes the empty Zariski cover of the empty scheme, so $F(\varnothing )$ is a singleton.

The open affine representability criterion says that $F$ is a functor represented by a scheme exactly when $F$ is a Zariski sheaf and admits a family of open subfunctors $F_i\subseteq F$, each represented by an affine scheme, which covers $F$ in the following sense: for every scheme $T$ and every $\xi \in F(T)$, the open subschemes representing $h_T{\times }_F{F}_i$ cover $T$. In particular, the covering condition does not demand that every $\xi$ lie in one $F_i(T)$.

In symbols, for affine schemes $X_i$,The family is indexed by a set. For necessity, take an affine open cover of a representing scheme; morphisms of schemes glue over a Zariski cover. For sufficiency, $F_i{\times }_F{F}_j$ is represented by an open subscheme of each $X_i,X_j$. The two descriptions identify these overlaps and satisfy the compatibility on triple overlaps because all maps come from the inclusions into $F$. Apply gluing of schemes along open subschemes to obtain $X$. Local identification gives $h_X\to F$, and the Zariski sheaf condition makes this a natural isomorphism: its elements can be constructed and compared on the pulled-back open cover.