An elementary, explicit, proof of the existence of Hilbert schemes of points (Q886260)

In his fundamental paper [``Techniques de construction et théoremes d'existence en géométrie algébrique. IV: Les schéma de Hilbert'', Sém. Bourbaki 13(1960/61), No. 221 (1961; Zbl 0236.14003)], \textit{A. Grothendieck} introduced the so called Hilbert scheme, which parametrizes all projective subschemes of the projective space with fixed Hilbert polynomial. Next many authors gave other proofs of the existence of the Hilbert scheme, see for instance \textit{D. Mumford} [``Lectures on curves on an algebraic surface'' (1966; Zbl 0187.42701)], \textit{A. B. Altman} and \textit{S. L. Kleiman} [Adv. Math. 35, 50--112 (1980; Zbl 0427.14015)], \textit{E. Sernesi} [``Topics on families of projective schemes'', Queen's Pap. Pure Appl. Math. 73 (1986)], \textit{M. Haiman} and \textit{B. Sturmfels} [J. Algebr. Geom. 13, No. 4, 725--769 (2004; Zbl 1072.14007)]. In particular, many efforts have been devoted to the study of Hilbert scheme of points (see e.g. \textit{A. Iarrobino} [Invent. Math. 15, 72--77 (1972; Zbl 0227.14006)], \textit{H. Nakajima} [Lectures of Hilbert schemes of points on surfaces, University Lecture Series 18 (1999; Zbl 0949.14001)], \textit{M. E. Huibregtse} [Pac. J. Math. 223, No. 2, 269--315 (2006; Zbl 1113.14007)]). In the paper under review, the authors present an explicit construction of the Hilbert scheme of \(n\) points of a projective scheme, giving explicit natural equations (of an affine covering) of it. This approach is close to the one by M. E. Huibregtse, but more intrinsic in nature. The authors' construction of the Hilbert scheme \(H\) of \(n\) points of an affine scheme Spec\((R)\) over an affine base scheme Spec\((A)\) relies on two ideas: the first, is to use the description of the \(R\)-module structure on an \(A\)-module \(F\) in terms of \(A\)-algebra morphisms form \(R\) to End\(_A(F)\). The second is the observation that the \(A\)-module morphisms from an \(A\)-module \(M\) to End\(_A(F)\) correspond to \(A\)-algebra morphisms from the symmetric algebra Sym\(_A(M\otimes_A\text{End}_A(F)^{\vee})\) to \(A\). This enables the authors to recognize that the \(A\)-algebra morphisms from Sym\(_A(M)\) to End\(_A(F)\) correspond to the algebra morphisms \(H\to A\), where \(H\) is the residue of the algebra Sym\(_A(M\otimes_A\text{End}_A(F)^{\vee})\) by the ideal corresponding to commuting \(n\times n\) matrices, and with coefficients in Sym\(_A(M\otimes_A\text{End}_A(F)^{\vee})\). At the end of the paper, the authors give some examples showing how their methods can be used: they describe the Hilbert scheme of \(n\) points in Spec\((S^{-1}A[X])\), where \(S\) is a multiplicative set in the polynomial ring \(A[X]\) in the variable \(X\) over \(A\), and describe an open subset of a component of the Hilbert scheme containing many subschemes of \(n\) points with support at a fixed point (this set can be used to show that the Hilbert scheme of \(n\) points in Spec\((A[Y_1,\dots,Y_m])\) is reducible when \(m\geq 3\) and \(n\gg 0\) (compare with the quoted paper of A. Iarrobino)).