I am doing the exercise 3.20 in Robin Hartshorne's Algebraic Geometry, Chapter 1.
Let $Y$ be a variety of dimension $\geq2$, and let $P\in Y$ be a normal point. Let $f$ be a regular function on $Y-P$. Show that $f$ extends to a regular function on $Y$.
$P$ is a normal point means the local ring $\mathcal{O}_P$ at $P$ is integrally closed. I believe we should show that $f$ is integral over $\mathcal{O}_P$.
I have found a solution here using the theory of schemes:
Extension of regular function.
While the book does not present scheme theory up to this section, I think there should be another proof.
Any help or hints will be appreciated!
Best Answer
Here is an outline. I'll just assume $Y$ is affine to make the problem easier.
We'll have to use the second part of the lemma here. This says:
$$ A(Y)_{\mathfrak{m}_P} = \bigcap_{\mathfrak q \text{ height 1 prime of $A(Y)_{\mathfrak m_P}$}} (A(Y)_{\mathfrak{m}_P})_{\mathfrak{q}} = \bigcap_{\mathfrak q \text{ height 1 prime of $A(Y)$ contained in $\mathfrak m_P$}} A(Y)_{\mathfrak q} $$ Note all these calculations are occuring in $K(Y)$, the field of rational functions. Our given $f$ is a rational function so must be of the form $g/h$, where $g$ and $h$ lie in $A(Y)$ and $h \neq 0$. It remains to show that $h$ is not in any height 1 prime $\mathfrak q \subset \mathfrak m_P$, because then $f$ will lie in $A(Y)_{\mathfrak m_P}$ so $f$ will be regular at $P$. If $h$ were in such a prime $\mathfrak q$, then $h$ would vanish on $Z(\mathfrak q)$. We can find a point $Q \neq P$ in $Z(\mathfrak q)$ because $\dim Y \geq 2$ (basically $\mathfrak q \subsetneq \mathfrak m_P$ by Hartshorne Thm 3.2c). But $f$ is regular at $Q$ so $h$ cannot vanish at $Q$. So $h \notin \mathfrak q$, as desired.
This is a response to Mingfeng's question below.
We have a ring isomorphism from the field of fractions of $A(Y)$ to the function field $K(Y)$ (note by Hartshorne's definition, this function field is really equivalence classes of pairs of regular functions defined on some nonempty open set). This map sends a fraction $f/g$ to the class of the pair ($f/g$, $\{ g \neq 0 \}$). This map is injective because this is a nonzero map out of a field. To see surjectivity, take a rational function, and take a representative, which is a regular function $h$ defined on an open set $U$. By definition, regular functions locally look like $f/g$. So shrink $U$ so we have the representation $f/g$. Then map the fraction $f/g$ to the pair ($f/g$, $\{ g \neq 0 \}$). This pair is equivalent to $(h, U)$. Hence this map is an isomorphism.
Notice that $A(Y)_{m_p} \subset frac (A(Y))$, and $\mathcal O_p \subset K(Y)$. I am thinking of $\mathcal O_p$ as on page 16 in Hartshorne. Then, the above map restricts to an isomorphism $A(Y)_{m_p} \to \mathcal O_p$.
Now back to our problem. $f$ is defined on $Y-0$, so I can think of $f$ as a rational function. Under the isomorphism, suppose $f$ corresponds to $g/h$. My goal is to show $g/h$ actually lies in $A(Y)_{m_p}$, because then $f$ will actually lie in $\mathcal O_p$, so $f$ is actually regular at $p$.
We can see $h(Q) \neq 0$ as follows. Since $f$ is regular at $Q$, $f \in \mathcal O_Q$. This means $g/h$ lies in $A(Y)_{m_Q}$. So $h \notin m_Q$, so $h(Q) \neq 0$.