Affine algebraic variety

From Commalg

Template:Variety notion

Definition

An affine algebraic variety (or simply an affine variety) is an irreducible closed subset of the affine space over a field (when equipped with the Zariski topology).

In other words, it is the set of points in affine space that are the solution to an ideal of polynomials in the polynomial ring, where this ideal cannot be expressed as the product of two ideals properly containing it.

Related notions