On proper coverings of Artin stacks (Q2577482)

Let \(S\) be a fixed noetherian scheme. In the category of algebraic stacks (or Artin stacks) over \(S\), a morphism \(F:{\mathcal X}\to{\mathcal X}'\) of objects is called proper if \(F\) is of finite type, separated and universally closed. Like in the theory of schemes, properness criteria for morphisms of algebraic stacks are of particular practical importance, and in this respect the so far most complete account is given in the fundamental monoraph ``Champs algébriques'' by \textit{G. Laumon} and \textit{L. Moret-Bailly} [Ergebnisse der Mathematik und ihrer Grenzgebiete, 3. Folge, 39 (2000; Zbl 0945.14005)]. In Proposition 7.12 of their book, these authors prove a properness criterion for a morphism of algebraic stacks, which holds under a certain additional assumption (``condition \((*)\)'') on \(F\), and they derive a number of important consequences from that special criterion of properness. The paper under review substantially clarifies the situation concerning the condition \((*)\) in the properness criterion of Laumon and Moret-Bailly. Roughly speaking, the author proves that condition \((*)\) always holds, and that it can be omitted from the assumptions of this properness criterion. More precisely, the first main theorem of the present paper states that for any separated Artin stack \({\mathcal X}/S\) of finite type, there exists a proper surjective morphism \(p: X\to{\mathcal X}\) from a quasi-projective \(S\)-scheme \(X\) onto \({\mathcal X}\). As the author points out, the approach to proving this theorem was suggested by O. Gabber, who also gave a first (unpublished) proof of it. Anyway, the present paper contains the first elaborated, complete and published proof of this theorem simplifying the properness criterion of Laumon and Moret-Bailly for morphisms of Artin stacks. The second part of the paper is devoted to applications of this result. Among them is the second main theorem of the author's present work, which basically provides a version of the so-called Grothendieck existence theorem [\textit{A. Grothendieck}, EGA III, première partie, Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 11, 349--511 (1962; Zbl 0118.36206)] for algebraic stacks. This theorem generalizes previous results, in this direction, obtained in the special cases of algebraic spaces [\textit{D. Knutson}, ``Algebraic spaces'', Lect. Notes Math. 203 (1971; Zbl 0221.14001)], tame Deligne-Mumford stacks [\textit{D. Abramovich} and \textit{A. Vistoli}, J. Am. Math. Soc. 15, No. 1, 27--75 (2002; Zbl 0991.14007)], and separated Deligne-Mumford stacks [\textit{M. Olsson} and \textit{J. Starr}, Commun. Algebra 31, No. 8, 4069--4096 (2003; Zbl 1071.14002)], respectively.