Coequalizer of Schemes – Can It Fail to Be Surjective?

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Suppose $g,h:Z\to X$ are two morphisms of schemes. Then we say that $f:X\to Y$ is the coequalizer of $g$ and $h$ if the following condition holds: any morphism $t:X\to T$ such that $t\circ g=t\circ h$ factors uniquely through $f$. The question is whether it is possible for a coequalizer $f:X\to Y$ to fail to be surjective.

Remark: $f$ must hit all the closed points of $Y$. To see this, suppose $y\in Y$ is a closed point that $f$ misses. Then $f$ factors through the open subscheme $Y\smallsetminus\{y\}$. It is easy to check (using the fact that $Y$ is the coequalizer) that $Y\smallsetminus\{y\}$ satisfies the universal property of the coequalizer. But coequalizers are unique, so we get $Y=Y\smallsetminus\{y\}$.

Background: A categorical quotient of a scheme $X$ by a group $G$ is the same thing as a coequalizer of the two maps $G\times X\rightrightarrows X$ (given by $(g,x)\mapsto x$ and the action $(g,x)\mapsto g\cdot x$) in the category of schemes. In Geometric Invariant Theory, Mumford defines the notion of a geometric quotient of a scheme by a group (Definition 0.6), which is stronger than the notion of a categorical quotient (Proposition 0.1). Part of the definition is that a map $f:X\to Y$ must be surjective in order to be a geometric quotient. In subsequent pages, he suggests strongly (but doesn't explicitly state) that a categorical quotient need not be surjective.

Best Answer

Let $k$ be a field. Take $Y=\mathrm{Spec}\,k[[t]]$, and take for $X$ the disjoint sum of the closed subschemes $X_n:=\mathrm{Spec}\,k[[t]]/(t^n)$ ($n>0$). Put $Z=X\times_Y X$ with the two obvious maps to $X$. A coequalizer is just a direct limit of the system $X_1\hookrightarrow\dots X_n\hookrightarrow X_{n+1}\hookrightarrow\dots$ in the category of schemes (look at the definition!). Clearly, $Y$ is a direct limit in the category of affine schemes, hence also in the category of schemes since the $X_n$'s are one-point schemes and every compatible system of morphisms $(X_n\to T)_{n>0}$ must factor through an affine open subscheme of $T$.

So, $X\to Y$ is a coequalizer of $pr_1, pr_2 :Z\to X$, but its set-theoretic image is the closed point.

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