Hartshorne Exercise II. 3.3 (c) for locally of finite type

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$\DeclareMathOperator{\Spec}{Spec}$Exercise II. 3.3 (c) in Hartshorne's Algebraic geometry is

Show also if $f: X \to Y$ is of finite type, then for every affine subset $V = \Spec(B) \subset Y$, and for every open affine subset $U = \Spec A \subset f^{-1}(V)$, $A$ is a finitely generated $B$-algebra.

My proof is to cover $f^{-1}(V)$ by finitely many open affines $\Spec A_i$, such that each $A_i$ is a finitely generated $B$-algebra. Then we can cover $U$ by finitely many open affines $D(a), a \in A$, which are both standard opens with respect to $\Spec A$ and one of the $\Spec A_i$ (see this lemma). Then each $D(a)$ is finitely generated over one of the $A_i$, and hence also finitely generated over $B$. Then this property asserts that $A$ is indeed finitely generated over $B$.

However, I wonder if we really need $f$ to be of finite type, or if $f$ being locally of finite type is sufficient? Because we only need that we can cover $U$ by finitely many of the $D(a)$, which is certainly true in either case, because $U$ is quasi-compact. Is my reasoning correct?

Best Answer

You are correct, and in fact locally of finite type is equivalent to the statement that for all open affines $U\subset X$ and $V\subset Y$ with $f(U)\subset V$, the ring map $\mathcal{O}_Y(V)\to\mathcal{O}_X(U)$ is of finite type. See for instance the proof at Stacks 01T2.

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