Resolution of the projection map $\text{proj}_P:\mathbb{P}^2\dashrightarrow\mathbb{P}^1$

algebraic-geometrybirational-geometryprojective-geometry

If $P=(0:0:1)\in\mathbb{P}_{\mathbb{C}}^2$, we define the projection from $P$ as the rational map:

\begin{align*}
\text{proj}_P:\mathbb{P}^2&\dashrightarrow\mathbb{P}^1\\
(x:y:z)&\mapsto(x:y)
\end{align*}

which obviously is not defined in $P$ itself.

I heard a speaker say in a lecture that "blowing up $\mathbb{P}^2$ at $P$ is enough to resolve the indetermination at $P$" but I can't see why.

I imagine he means the following: if $\pi:X\to\mathbb{P}^2$ is the blow-up of $\mathbb{P}^2$ at $P$, then the rational map $p:=\text{proj}_P\circ\pi$ is actually a morphism.

Here's my attempt to prove it. Let $((x:y:z),(s:t))$ be the coordinates of $\mathbb{P}^2\times\mathbb{P}^1$ and consider the open sets $U,V\subset \mathbb{P}^2\times\mathbb{P}^1$ determined by:
\begin{align*}
U:=\{z\neq 0,\, s\neq 0\}\\
V:=\{z\neq 0,\, t\neq 0\}
\end{align*}

That way, $X$ is defined by $\{y=tx\}$ in $U$ and by $\{x=sy\}$ in $V$. Now we may write:
\begin{align*}
p|_U:U &\to\mathbb{P}^2 \dashrightarrow\mathbb{P}^1\\
(x,t)&\mapsto (x:tx:1) \mapsto (x:tx)\\ \\
p|_V:V &\to\mathbb{P}^2 \dashrightarrow\mathbb{P}^1\\
(y,s)&\mapsto (sy:y:1) \mapsto (sy:y)
\end{align*}

That way $p|_U$ is not determined at $x=0$ and $p|_V$ is not determined at $y=0$. Doesn't that mean that $p$ is indetermined at every point in $\pi^{-1}(P)$?

What am I missing?

Best Answer

Since the coordinates on $\mathbb P^1$ are homogeneous the map you've written: $$ (x,t) \overset{p|_U}{\longmapsto} (x:tx) $$ is the same as $$ (x,t) \overset{p|_U}{\longmapsto} (1:t). $$ Meaning that they coincide on the dense open set $$ U\cap V = V(z,s)^c\cap V(z,t)^c=\{V(z,s)\cup V(z,t)\}^c=V(z,s,t)^c=\{z\neq0,s\neq0,t\neq0\}, $$ so to extend the definition everywhere we just use the second definition.

Another reason the map has to be defined everywhere is that it is the restriction of the projection $\mathbb P^2\times \mathbb P^1\to \mathbb P^1$.