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The first chip identifies the source of the statement or construction; the second identifies the source of its local proof or verification.

  • Literature-sourced: the exact statement appears in a cited source; only wording and notation differ.
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✓ 6 results · all verified · 4 also independently AI-judged
Every result on this page is machine-checked by a proof checker and read in full and owner-audited; the judge is an additional, independent cross-model AI review of the proofs. The 2 not AI-judged were verified by owner audit (typically over a confirmed judge false positive), not failures.

Affine Schemes and the Structure Sheaf — Examples

1 · Prerequisites

2 · Summary

These calculations keep the structure sheaf visible. Field and zero-ring spectra establish the two extreme cases, while Spec⁡Z separates generic from closed points. Dual numbers then show why the topology alone does not recover a scheme. The affine-line examples distinguish its localized open, its relative functor of points, and the generic point from a classical k-valued point.

3 · Logical flowchart

4 · Definitions, theorems and proofs

None yet.

5 · Examples, counterexamples and false statements

ExampleConstruction: Literature-sourcedVerification: AI-adaptedprecheck passjudge pass (gpt-5.6-terra)audited 2026-09-06Open item page →

The zero ring has empty spectrum

Example

With the unital convention, Spec⁡(0)=∅ and the empty affine scheme has global ring 0.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: The zero ring 0, in which 0=1.

[F1]

Global functions on an affine spectrum recover its defining ring (Global functions on Spec A recover A).

Verification

technique · direct
1.1given

The only ideal of the zero ring contains 1=0, hence is not proper.

2.1step 1.1

Thus Spec⁡(0) has no points and is empty.

3.1F1step 2.1∎

By [F1], its global sections are 0.

ExampleConstruction: Literature-sourcedVerification: AI-adaptedprecheck passaudited 2026-09-06Open item page →

Spec Z has one generic point and closed prime-number points

Example

The points of Spec⁡Z are (0) and (p) for rational primes p. The point (0) is generic, while each (p) is closed.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: The ring of integers Z.

[F1]

Z/pZ is a field when p is a rational prime (For every prime p, the two operations on Z/p make it a field).

[F2]

A quotient is a domain exactly when the defining ideal is prime (R/P is an integral domain if and only if P is a prime ideal).

Verification

technique · direct
1.1F1F2givenalgebra

A nonzero prime ideal has a least positive member and division shows it is (p) for a rational prime p; conversely [F1] and [F2] make every (p) prime, while (0) is prime because Z is a domain.

2.1step 1.1

The ideals (p) are maximal and therefore are closed points.

2.2step 1.1

The closure of (0) is V((0))=Spec⁡Z, so it is generic.

3.1step 2.1step 2.2∎

These are exactly the claimed generic and closed points.

ExampleConstruction: Literature-sourcedVerification: AI-adaptedprecheck passjudge pass (gpt-5.6-terra)audited 2026-09-06Open item page →

The spectrum of a product ring is a disjoint union

Example

For commutative rings A,B, there is a canonical isomorphism of locally ringed spaces Spec⁡(A×B)≅Spec⁡A⊔Spec⁡B.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: Commutative rings A,B and the idempotents e=(1,0), e′=(0,1) in A×B.

[F1]

A ring map induces a contraction map on prime spectra (The map of affine spectra induced by a ring homomorphism).

Verification

technique · direct
1.1givenalgebra

Since (1,0)(0,1)=0, a prime is uniquely either p×B or A×q for a prime of one factor.

2.1F1step 1.1

The two families are disjoint open-and-closed sets, and projections give homeomorphisms with the two factor spectra by [F1].

2.2step 1.1algebra

Their localizations are Ap and Bq, so these homeomorphisms identify the structure sheaves.

3.1step 2.1step 2.2∎

Hence the spectrum is the claimed disjoint union of locally ringed spaces.

ExampleConstruction: Literature-sourcedVerification: AI-adaptedprecheck passjudge pass (gpt-5.6-terra)audited 2026-09-06Open item page →

A basic open of the affine line

Example

For a commutative ring k, the basic open D(t) of Ak1=Spec⁡k[t] is affine and isomorphic to Spec⁡k[t,t−1].

Facts & Assumptions

Given: A commutative ring k and the polynomial variable t.

[F1]

A principal localization spectrum is the corresponding distinguished open as a locally ringed space (A principal localization identifies its spectrum with a distinguished open).

Verification

technique · direct
1.1givenalgebra

Localizing k[t] at t adjoins t−1, giving k[t]t≅k[t,t−1].

1.2F1

By [F1], D(t)≅Spec⁡(k[t]t).

2.1step 1.1step 1.2∎

Combining the two identifications proves the example.

CounterexampleConstruction: Literature-sourcedVerification: AI-adaptedverified 2026-09-26 (gpt-6-sol)Open item page →

A scheme is not determined by its underlying topological space

Statement refuted

“The underlying topological space determines a scheme.”

Facts & Assumptions

Given: A field k.

[F1]

Points of Spec⁡A are prime ideals of A (The underlying space of an affine spectrum). A field has exactly one proper ideal, (0), and it is prime.

[F2]

The dual-numbers scheme is Spec⁡D for D=k[ϵ]/(ϵ2) (The affine scheme of dual numbers, The polynomial ring over a commutative ring as finitely supported coefficient sequences with convolution, The quotient ring R/I with (r+I)(s+I)=rs+I). Passing to the quotient by the nilradical does not change the prime spectrum or its topology (Passing to the reduced quotient does not change the prime spectrum). An affine scheme is reduced exactly when its coordinate ring is reduced (Reduced affine schemes).

Counterexample

technique · direct
1.1F1F2algebra

Every element of D has a unique form a+bϵ with a,b∈k and ϵ2=0. Such an element is nilpotent exactly when a=0, since its image under D→D/(ϵ)≅k must then be nilpotent in a field, and every bϵ is square-zero. Thus Nil⁡(D)=(ϵ) and D/Nil⁡(D)≅k. By [F2], Spec⁡D is homeomorphic to Spec⁡k, which has one point by [F1].

2.1F2step 1.1algebra

The first scheme is reduced because a field has no nonzero nilpotents. The second is not reduced: ϵ is nonzero in D because the polynomial ϵ does not belong to (ϵ2), but its square is zero.

3.1step 1.1step 2.1∎

Scheme isomorphisms preserve affine coordinate rings up to isomorphism and hence reducedness, so these schemes are not isomorphic.

ExampleConstruction: Literature-sourcedVerification: AI-adaptedprecheck passaudited 2026-09-06Open item page →

The functor of points of the affine line

Example

For a commutative ring k and a k-algebra R, the relative affine line satisfies Ak1(R)=Hom⁡k-Alg(k[t],R)≅R, naturally in R.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: A commutative ring k and a k-algebra R.

[F1]

A k-algebra homomorphism from k[t] is uniquely determined by the image of t (Universal property of R[x]: a coefficient homomorphism and the image of x determine a unique ring homomorphism).

Verification

technique · direct
1.1given

Send a k-algebra map α:k[t]→R to α(t)∈R.

1.2F1

Given r∈R, [F1] supplies the unique map with t↦r.

2.1step 1.1step 1.2∎

The assignments are inverse and commute with postcomposition, so the bijection is natural.

CounterexampleConstruction: Literature-sourcedVerification: AI-adaptedprecheck passjudge pass (gpt-5.6-terra)audited 2026-09-06Open item page →

The generic point of the affine line has no relative k-valued coordinate

Statement refuted

“Every point p of Ak1 is the kernel of a k-algebra map k[t]→k.”

Facts & Assumptions

Given: A field k and Ak1=Spec⁡k[t].

[F1]

The closure of a prime p in a prime spectrum is V(p) (Generic points of irreducible closed subsets).

Counterexample

technique · direct
1.1F1givenalgebra

If f,g∈k[t] are nonzero, the leading coefficient of fg is the nonzero product of their leading coefficients; hence k[t] is a domain and (0) is a point of Ak1. By [F1], its closure is all of Spec⁡k[t].

2.1step 1.1algebra

Evaluation at 0 identifies k[t]/(t) with the domain k, so (t) is prime and strictly contains (0). Thus the closure in step 1.1 is not a singleton, and (0) is not closed. quotient-domain criterion

3.1F1step 2.1algebra∎

A relative k-valued coordinate representing a point p is a [F1, step 2.1, algebra] k-algebra map k[t]→k whose kernel is p. Such a map fixes k, hence is surjective and has maximal kernel. By [F1] its closure is the set of primes containing it, which is the singleton consisting of that maximal ideal. Its kernel is therefore closed, whereas (0) is not, so the generic point (0) has no relative k-valued coordinate.

Sources