The Stacks project

Lemma 54.15.1. Let $Y$ be a one dimensional integral Noetherian scheme. The following are equivalent

  1. there exists an alteration $X \to Y$ with $X$ regular,

  2. there exists a resolution of singularities of $Y$,

  3. there exists a finite sequence $Y_ n \to Y_{n - 1} \to \ldots \to Y_1 \to Y$ of blowups in closed points with $Y_ n$ regular, and

  4. the normalization $Y^\nu \to Y$ is finite.

Proof. The implications (3) $\Rightarrow $ (2) $\Rightarrow $ (1) are immediate. The implication (1) $\Rightarrow $ (4) follows from Lemma 54.13.1. Observe that a normal one dimensional scheme is regular hence the implication (4) $\Rightarrow $ (2) is clear as well. Thus it remains to show that the equivalent conditions (1), (2), and (4) imply (3).

Let $f : X \to Y$ be a resolution of singularities. Since the dimension of $Y$ is one we see that $f$ is finite by Varieties, Lemma 33.17.2. We will construct factorizations

\[ X \to \ldots \to Y_2 \to Y_1 \to Y \]

where $Y_ i \to Y_{i - 1}$ is a blowing up of a closed point and not an isomorphism as long as $Y_{i - 1}$ is not regular. Each of these morphisms will be finite (by the same reason as above) and we will get a corresponding system

\[ f_*\mathcal{O}_ X \supset \ldots \supset f_{2, *}\mathcal{O}_{Y_2} \supset f_{1, *}\mathcal{O}_{Y_1} \supset \mathcal{O}_ Y \]

where $f_ i : Y_ i \to Y$ is the structure morphism. Since $Y$ is Noetherian, this increasing sequence of coherent submodules must stabilize (Cohomology of Schemes, Lemma 30.10.1) which proves that for some $n$ the scheme $Y_ n$ is regular as desired. To construct $Y_ i$ given $Y_{i - 1}$ we pick a singular closed point $y_{i - 1} \in Y_{i - 1}$ and we let $Y_ i \to Y_{i - 1}$ be the corresponding blowup. Since $X$ is regular of dimension $1$ (and hence the local rings at closed points are discrete valuation rings and in particular PIDs), the ideal sheaf $\mathfrak m_{y_{i - 1}} \cdot \mathcal{O}_ X$ is invertible. By the universal property of blowing up (Divisors, Lemma 31.32.5) this gives us a factorization $X \to Y_ i$. Finally, $Y_ i \to Y_{i - 1}$ is not an isomorphism as $\mathfrak m_{y_{i - 1}}$ is not an invertible ideal. $\square$


Comments (0)


Post a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked.

In your comment you can use Markdown and LaTeX style mathematics (enclose it like $\pi$). A preview option is available if you wish to see how it works out (just click on the eye in the toolbar).

Unfortunately JavaScript is disabled in your browser, so the comment preview function will not work.

All contributions are licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.




In order to prevent bots from posting comments, we would like you to prove that you are human. You can do this by filling in the name of the current tag in the following input field. As a reminder, this is tag 0BI4. Beware of the difference between the letter 'O' and the digit '0'.