Geometric quotient

In algebraic geometry, a geometric quotient of an algebraic variety X with the action of an algebraic group G is a morphism of varieties $\pi :X\to Y$ such that

(i) The map $\pi$ is surjective, and its fibers are exactly the G-orbits in X.

(ii) The topology of Y is the quotient topology: a subset $U\subset Y$ is open if and only if $\pi ^{-1}(U)$ is open.

(iii) For any open subset $U\subset Y$, $\pi ^{\#}:k[U]\to k[\pi ^{-1}(U)]^{G}$ is an isomorphism. (Here, k is the base field.)

The notion appears in geometric invariant theory. (i), (ii) say that Y is an orbit space of X in topology. (iii) may also be phrased as an isomorphism of sheaves ${\mathcal {O}}_{Y}\simeq \pi _{*}({\mathcal {O}}_{X}^{G})$. In particular, if X is irreducible, then so is Y and $k(Y)=k(X)^{G}$: rational functions on Y may be viewed as invariant rational functions on X (i.e., rational-invariants of X).

For example, if H is a closed subgroup of G, then $G/H$ is a geometric quotient. A GIT quotient may or may not be a geometric quotient: but both are categorical quotients, which is unique; in other words, one cannot have both types of quotients (without them being the same).

Relation to other quotients

A geometric quotient is a categorical quotient. This is proved in Mumford's geometric invariant theory.

A geometric quotient is precisely a good quotient whose fibers are orbits of the group.

Examples

• The canonical map $\mathbb {A} ^{n+1}\setminus 0\to \mathbb {P} ^{n}$ is a geometric quotient.
• If L is a linearized line bundle on an algebraic G-variety X, then, writing $X_{(0)}^{s}$ for the set of stable points with respect to L, the quotient

$X_{(0)}^{s}\to X_{(0)}^{s}/G$  

is a geometric quotient.