A morphism f:YXf:Y\to X of is finite if every affine open U=SpecAXU=\operatorname{Spec}A\subseteq X has affine inverse image

f1(U)=SpecBf^{-1}(U)=\operatorname{Spec}B

and BB is a finitely generated AA-module through the induced ABA\to B.

It is enough to verify this condition on an affine open cover of XX. Thus finiteness is affine-local on the target, whereas the definition of a finite morphism is global.

For a field extension K/FK/F, the morphism SpecKSpecF\operatorname{Spec}K\to\operatorname{Spec}F is finite exactly when KK is finite-dimensional over FF, that is, when K/FK/F is a finite .