\documentclass{lecture} \begin{document} \chapter{Algebraic sets} \section{Polynomial equations} Let $k$ be a field. \begin{definition} The \emph{affine space of dimension $n$} is the set $k^{n}$. \end{definition} \begin{definition} An \emph{algebraic subset} of $k^{n}$ is a subset $V \subseteq k^{n}$ for which there exists a subset $A \subseteq k[x_1, \ldots, x_n]$ such that \begin{salign*} V = \{ x \in k^{n} \mid \forall P \in A\colon P(x) = 0 \} .\end{salign*} Notation: $V = \mathcal{V}_{k^{n}}(A)$. \end{definition} \begin{figure} \centering \begin{tikzpicture} \begin{axis} \algebraiccurve[red][$y=x^2-4x+5$]{x^2 - 4*x + 5 - y} \end{axis} \end{tikzpicture} \caption{parabola} \end{figure} \begin{figure} \centering \begin{tikzpicture} \begin{axis} \algebraiccurve[red][$y^2 = (x+1)x^2$][-1:1][-1:1]{y^2 - (x+1)*x^2} \end{axis} \end{tikzpicture} \caption{nodal cubic} \end{figure} \begin{bem} If $A \subseteq k[x_1, \ldots, x_n]$ is a subset and $I$ is the ideal generated by $A$, then \[ \mathcal{V}(A) = \mathcal{V}(I) .\] \end{bem} \begin{definition} Let $Z \subseteq k^{n}$ be a subset. Define the ideal in $k[x_1, \ldots, x_n]$ \[ \mathcal{I}(Z) \coloneqq \{ P \in k[x_1, \ldots, x_n] \mid \forall x \in Z\colon P(x) = 0\} .\] \end{definition} \begin{bem} Since $k[x_1, \ldots, x_n]$ is a Noetherian ring, all ideals are finitely generated. For $I \subseteq k[x_1, \ldots, x_n]$ there exist polynomials $P_1, \ldots, P_m \in k[x_1, \ldots, x_n]$ such that $I = (P_1, \ldots, P_m)$ and \[ \mathcal{V}(I) = \mathcal{V}(P_1, \ldots, P_m) = \mathcal{V}(P_1) \cap \ldots \cap \mathcal{V}(P_m) .\] Thus all algebraic subsets of $k^{n}$ are intersections of hypersurfaces. \end{bem} \begin{satz}[] The maps \[ \mathcal{I}\colon \{ \text{subsets of } k^{n}\} \longrightarrow \{\text{ideals in } k[x_1, \ldots, x_n]\} \] and \[ \mathcal{V}\colon \{ \text{ideals in } k[x_1, \ldots, x_n] \} \longrightarrow \{ \text{subsets of } k^{n}\} \] satisfy the following properties \begin{enumerate}[(i)] \item $Z_1 \subseteq Z_2 \implies \mathcal{I}(Z_1) \supseteq \mathcal{I}(Z_2)$ \item $I_1 \subseteq I_2 \implies \mathcal{V}(I_1) \supseteq \mathcal{V}(I_2)$ \item $\mathcal{I}(Z_1 \cup Z_2) = \mathcal{I}(Z_1) \cap \mathcal{I}(Z_2)$ \item $\mathcal{I}(\mathcal{V}(I)) \supseteq I$ \item $\mathcal{V}(\mathcal{I}(Z)) \supseteq Z$ with equality if and only if $Z$ is an algebraic set. \end{enumerate} \end{satz} \begin{proof} Calculation. \end{proof} \begin{lemma} Let $I, J \subseteq k[x_1, \ldots, x_n]$ be ideals. Then \[ \mathcal{V}(I) \cup \mathcal{V}(J) = \mathcal{V}(IJ) \] where $IJ$ is the ideal generated by the products $PQ$, where $P \in I$ and $Q \in J$. \label{lemma:union-of-alg-sets} \end{lemma} \begin{lemma} Let $I_j \in k[x_1, \ldots, x_n]$ be ideals. Then \[ \bigcap_{j \in J} \mathcal{V}(I_j) = \mathcal{V}\left( \bigcup_{j \in J} I_j \right) .\] \label{lemma:intersection-of-alg-sets} \end{lemma} \section{The Zariski topology} The algebraic subsets of $k^{n}$ can be used to define a topology on $k^{n}$. \begin{satz} The algebraic subsets of $k^{n}$ are exactly the closed sets of a topology on $k^{n}$. \end{satz} \begin{proof} $\emptyset = \mathcal{V}(1)$ and $k^{n} = \mathcal{V}(0)$. The rest follows from \ref{lemma:union-of-alg-sets} and \ref{lemma:intersection-of-alg-sets}. \end{proof} \begin{definition} The topology on $k^{n}$ where the closed sets are exactly the algebraic subsets of $k^{n}$, is called the \emph{Zariski topology}. \end{definition} \begin{lemma} \begin{enumerate}[(i)] \item Let $Z \subseteq k^{n}$ be a subset. Then \[ \overline{Z} = \mathcal{V}(\mathcal{I}(Z)) .\] \item Let $Z \subseteq k^{n}$ be a subset. Then \[ \sqrt{\mathcal{I}(Z)} = \mathcal{I}(Z) .\] \item Let $I \subseteq k[x_1, \ldots, x_n]$ be an ideal. Then \[ \mathcal{V}(I) = \mathcal{V}(\sqrt{I}) .\] \end{enumerate} \end{lemma} \begin{proof} \begin{enumerate}[(i)] \item Let $V = \mathcal{V}(I)$ be a Zariski-closed set such that $Z \subseteq V$. Then $\mathcal{I}(Z) \supseteq \mathcal{I}(V)$. But $\mathcal{I}(V) = \mathcal{I}(\mathcal{V}(I)) \supseteq I$, so $\mathcal{V}(\mathcal{I}(Z)) \subseteq \mathcal{V}(I) = V$. Thus \[ \mathcal{V}(\mathcal{I}(Z)) \subseteq \bigcap_{V \text{ closed}, Z \subseteq V} V = \overline{Z} .\] Since $\mathcal{V}(I(Z))$ is closed, the claim follows. \end{enumerate} \end{proof} \begin{korollar} For ideals $I, J \subseteq k[x_1, \ldots, x_n]$ we have \[ \mathcal{V}(I) \cup \mathcal{V}(J) = \mathcal{V}(IJ) = \mathcal{V}(I \cap J) .\] \end{korollar} \begin{proof} $\sqrt{I \cap J} = \sqrt{IJ}$ \end{proof} \begin{satz} The Zariski topology turns $k^{n}$ into a Noetherian topological space: If $(F_n)_{n \in N}$ is a decreasing sequence of closed sets, then $(F_n)_{n \in \N}$ is stationary. \end{satz} \begin{proof} Let $V_1 \supseteq V_2 \supseteq \ldots$ be a decreasing sequence of closed sets. Then $\mathcal{I}(V_1) \subseteq \mathcal{I}(V_2) \subseteq \ldots$ is an increasing sequence of ideals in $k[x_1, \ldots, x_n]$. As $k[x_1, \ldots, x_n]$ is Noetherian, this sequence is stationary. Thus there exists $n_0 \in \N$ such that $\forall n \ge n_0$, $\mathcal{I}(V_n) = \mathcal{I}(V_{n_0})$. Therefore, \[ V_n = \mathcal{V}(\mathcal{I}(V_n)) = \mathcal{V}(\mathcal{I}(V_{n_0})) = V_{n_0} \] for $n \ge n_0$. \end{proof} \begin{definition} Let $P \in k[x_1, \ldots, x_n]$. The subset \[ D_{k^{n}}(P) \coloneqq k^{n} \setminus \mathcal{V}(P) \] is called a \emph{standard} or \emph{principal open set} of $k^{n}$. \end{definition} \begin{bem}[] Since a Zariski-closed subset of $k^{n}$ is an intersection of finitely many $\mathcal{V}(P_i)$, a Zariski-open subset of $k^{n}$ is a union of finitely many standard open sets. Thus the standard open sets form a basis for the Zariski topology of $k^{n}$. \end{bem} \begin{satz}[] The affine space $k^{n}$ is quasi-compact in the Zariski topology. \end{satz} \begin{proof} Let $k^{n} = \bigcup_{i \in J} U_i$ where $U_i$ is open. Since the standard opens form a basis of the Zariski topology, we can assume $U_i = D(P_i)$ with $P_i \in k[x_1, \ldots, x_n]$. Then $\mathcal{V}((P_i)_{i \in I}) = \bigcap_{i \in J} \mathcal{V}(P_i) = \emptyset$. Since $k[x_1, \ldots, x_n]$ is Noetherian, we can choose finitely many generators $P_{i_1}, \ldots, P_{i_m}$ such that $((P_i)_{i \in J}) = (P_{i_1}, \ldots, P_{i_m})$. Thus \[ \bigcap_{j=1}^{m} \mathcal{V}(P_{i_j}) = \mathcal{V}(P_{i_1}, \ldots, P_{i_m}) = \mathcal{V}((P_i)_{i \in J}) = \emptyset .\] By passing to complements in $k^{n}$, we get \[ \bigcup_{j=1}^{m} D(P_{i_j}) = k^{n} .\] \end{proof} \begin{satz}[] Let $P \in k[x_1, \ldots, x_n]$ and let $f_P \colon k^{n} \to k$ be the associated function on $k^{n}$. Then $f_p$ is continuous with respect to the Zariski topology on $k^{n}$ and $k$. \end{satz} \begin{proof} The closed proper subsets of $k$ are finite subsets $F = \{t_1, \ldots, t_s\} \subseteq k$. The pre-image of a singleton $\{t\} \subseteq k$ is \[ f_P^{-1}(\{t\}) = \{x \in k^{n} \mid P(x) - t = 0\} = \mathcal{V}(P - t) \] which is a closed subset of $k^{n}$. Thus \[ f_P^{-1}(F) = \bigcup_{i=1}^{s} \mathcal{V}(P - t_i) \] is closed. \end{proof} \begin{satz} If $k$ is infinite, $\mathcal{I}(k^{n}) = \{0\} $. \label{satz:k-infinite-everywhere-vanish} \end{satz} \begin{proof} By induction: for $n = 1$, this follows because a non-zero polynomial only has a finite number of roots. Let $n \ge 1$ and $P \in \mathcal{I}(k^{n})$. Thus $P(x) = 0$ $\forall x \in k^{n}$. Let \[ P = \sum_{i=0}^{m} P_i(X_1, \ldots, X_{n-1}) X_n^{i} \] for $P_i \in k[X_1, \ldots, X_{n-1}]$. Fix some $x_1, \ldots, x_{n-1} \in k$. Then $P(x_1, \ldots, x_{n-1}, y) \in k[y]$ has an infinite number of roots. Thus $P(x_1, \ldots, x_{n-1}, y) = 0$ for all $x_2, \ldots, x_n$ by the case $n=1$, implying that $P_i(x_1, \ldots, x_{n-1}) = 0$ for all $i$. Since this holds for all $(x_1, \ldots, x_{n-1}) \in k^{n-1}$, $P_i = 0$ by induction for all $i$. \end{proof} \end{document}