[Math] Definition of quasi-projective variety and some related questions

algebraic-geometry

I'm a little bit confused by Definition 1.64 on page 32 in this book.

This definition says: A prevariety is called quasi-projective variety if it is isomorphic to an open subvariety of a projective variety.

What is an open subvariety of a projective variety? Is it an open subset of a projective variety which endowed with the induced topology and the induced space with functions is again a prevariety? Directly after the definition the book says something different: It says quasi-projective varieties are of the form $(Y,\mathcal{O}_Y)$ where $Y$ is a locally closed subspace of the projective space $\mathbb{P}^n$. What does "locally closed" mean? And what does "subspace" mean? Is that somehow related to linear subspaces of $k^{n+1}$? Then the book talks about some independence on the choice of $X$ which would not be difficult to show. It would be cool if you also could explain how $X$ comes into play.

Thanks!

Edit: The mentioned $\mathcal{O}_Y$ is of the form $\mathcal{O}_{X\mid Y}$ for a closed subvariety $X$ of $\mathbb{P}^n$.

Best Answer

In principle, the $O_Y$ attached to $Y$ depends on the closed set $X$: indeed, given a locally closed subset $Y$, we know that there is a closed subset $X$ in $P^n$ such that $Y$ is open in $X$, and we define $O_Y$ as the restriction of $Y$ of $O_X$.

Now, there are in general many closed subsets of $P^n$ of which $Y$ is an open subset, and the whole point of the remark is that $O_Y$ does not depend on the choice of $X$: if $X'$ is another closed subset of $P^n$ such that $Y$ is an open subset of $X'$, the restriction $O_{X'}|_Y$ is isomorphic to $O_X|_Y$ as sheaves of rings on $Y$.

You should try to prove this yourself, even if it takes a long time. It is a great exercise in handling the definitions of everything.