Thursday, 7 September 2006

ag.algebraic geometry - When is a morphism proper?

Assume V and W are quasiprojective. Let i:VtoX be a locally closed embedding with X projective (for instance X could be Pn). Consider the induced map g:VtoXtimesW; this is also a locally closed embedding. Then f is proper iff g is a closed embedding, or equivalently if g(V) is closed.



As for the topological approach, use the definition of properness given by Charles Staats. Let f:XtoY be a continuous map of Hausdorff second countable topological spaces. The base change f:XtoY of f by a continuous map g:YtoY is defined by letting X be the set of pairs
(x,y) in XtimesY such that f(x)=g(y) (with the induced topology from XtimesY), and f:XtoY the obvious projection. Then f is proper if and only if all its base changes are closed. This may not be logically relevant, but I find it very comforting.
To connect the two cases note that, given a locally closed embedding of complex algebraic varieties, it is closed in the Zariski topology iff it is closed in the Euclidean topology.

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