Affine structure Edit
There are several equivalent ways to specify the affine structure of an n-dimensional complex affine space A. The simplest involves an auxiliary space V, called the difference space, which is a vector space over the complex numbers. Then an affine space is a set A together with a simple and transitive action of V on A. (That is, A is a V-torsor.)
Another way is to define a notion of affine combination, satisfying certain axioms. An affine combination of points p1,...,pk ∈ A is expressed as a sum of the form
{displaystyle a_{1}mathbf {p} _{1}+cdots +a_{k}mathbf {p} _{k}} a_1mathbf p_1+cdots+a_kmathbf p_k
where the scalars ai are complex numbers that sum to unity.
The difference space can be identified with the set of "formal differences" p − q, modulo the relation that formal differences respect affine combinations in an obvious way.
Affine functions Edit
A function f: A→ℂ is called affine if it preserves affine combinations. So
{displaystyle f(a_{1}mathbf {p} _{1}+cdots +a_{k}mathbf {p} _{k})=a_{1}f(mathbf {p} _{1})+cdots +a_{k}f(mathbf {p} _{k})} f(a_1mathbf p_1+cdots+a_kmathbf p_k)=a_1f(mathbf p_1)+cdots+a_kf(mathbf p_k)
for any affine combination
{displaystyle a_{1}mathbf {p} _{1}+cdots +a_{k}mathbf {p} _{k}} a_1mathbf p_1+cdots+a_kmathbf p_k in A.
The space of affine functions A* is a linear space. The dual vector space of A* is naturally isomorphic to an (n+1)-dimensional vector space F(A) which is the free vector space on A modulo the relation that affine combination in A agrees with affine combination in F(A). Via this construction, the affine structure of the affine space A can be recovered completely from the space of affine functions.
The algebra of polynomials in the affine functions on A defines a ring of functions, called the affine coordinate ring in algebraic geometry. This ring carries a filtration, by degree in the affine functions. Conversely, it is possible to recover the points of the affine space as the set of algebra homomorphisms from the affine coordinate ring into the complex numbers. This is called the maximal spectrum of the ring, because it coincides with its set of maximal ideals. There is a unique affine structure on this maximal spectrum that is compatible with the filtration on the affine coordinate ring.