When is the tangent space of a fiber product the fiber product of the tangent spaces

algebraic-geometryschemes

If $X,Y,Z$ are schemes locally of finite type over an algebraically closed field of characteristic 0, and $X\to Z$ and $Y\to Z$ are morphisms, then is it true that $T_{(x,y)}(X\times_Z Y)\simeq T_x(X)\times_{T_z(Z)}T_y(Y)$ (where $z$ is the image of $x$ and $y$ in $Z$)?

By the universal property of fiber products we have a natural map $T_{(x,y)}(X\times_Z Y)\to T_x(X)\times_{T_z(Z)}T_y(Y)$. Moreover, seeing each element of $T_x(X)$, for example, as a morphism from the dual numbers to $X$ with set-theoretic image $x$, then we get, again by the universal property, a map in the other direction. Are these inverses of each other? It seems they should be but I'm nervous about missing some subtlety here.

Best Answer

This is true when $ x $ and $ y $ are closed points (so that $ z $ is a closed point as well). First, because $ k $ is algebraically closed, the closed points of any locally finite-type scheme are precisely the $ k $-valued points. Next, if $ x,y,z $ are closed points with $ x, y $ both mapping to $ z $, then the fiber product has exactly one point $ p $ (necessarily closed) over $ x \in X $ and $ y \in Y $ because the fiber is given by $ \operatorname{Spec} (k(x) \otimes_{k(z)} k(y)) = \operatorname{Spec} k $. So the desired isomorphism holds by the universal property: $$ T_p(X \times_Z Y) = \operatorname{Hom}_p ( \operatorname{Spec} k[\epsilon]/\epsilon^2 , X \times_Z Y) = \operatorname{Hom}_x ( \operatorname{Spec} k[\epsilon]/\epsilon^2 , X) \times_{\operatorname{Hom}_z ( \operatorname{Spec} k[\epsilon]/\epsilon^2 , Z)} \operatorname{Hom}_y ( \operatorname{Spec} k[\epsilon]/\epsilon^2 , Y ) = T_x X \times_{T_z Z} T_y Y $$

For non-closed points, I don't know what definition you're taking for the tangent space. The definition 'dual of $ m/m^2 $' will work but then the tangent spaces will be vector spaces over fields of positive transcendence degree. For example if $ X = Y = \mathbb{A}^1_k $ and $ Z = \operatorname{Spec} k $ with $ x, y $ the generic points of each affine line, then the tangent spaces $ T_xX , T_yY $ are zero, but then the fiber in the plane $ \mathbb{A}^2_k $over the generic points of the lines is huge and has many points corresponding to irreducible polynomials in two variables, say $ \mathfrak{P} = (f), f(u,v) = u - v $ for example. Then at $ \mathfrak{P} \in \mathbb{A}^2_k $, the tangent space is isomorphic to $ k(t) $ and the isomorphism doesn't hold for rather stupid reasons.