Suppose that $f$ defines a singular, complex affine hypersurface. If the critical locus of $f$ is one-dimensional at the origin, we obtain new general bounds on the ranks of the homology groups of the Milnor fiber, $F_{f, \mathbf 0}$, of $f$ at the origin, with either integral or $\mathbb Z/p\mathbb Z$ coefficients. If the critical locus of $f$ has arbitrary dimension, we show that the smallest possibly non-zero reduced Betti number of $F_{f, \mathbf 0}$ completely determines if $f$ defines a family of isolated singularities, over a smooth base, with constant Milnor number. This result has a nice interpretation in terms of the structure of the vanishing cycles as an object in the perverse category.
We consider an equisingularity problem for polynomial families of affine hypersurfaces $X_τ\subset \mathbb C^n$ with (at worst) isolated singularities. We show that the constancy of the global polar invariants $γ^* (X_τ)$ is equivalent to the $t$-equisingularity at infinity, an asymptotic-type equisingularity that we introduce. We prove that $γ^*$-constancy implies C$^\infty$-triviality in the neighbourhood of infinity. We show how the invariants $γ^*$ enter in the description of a CW-complex model of a hypersurface $X_τ$ and therefore provide in particular new invariants at infinity for polyn…
We investigate properties of the contact exponent (in the sense of Hironaka [Hi]) of plane algebroid curve singularities over algebraically closed fields of arbitrary characteristic. We prove that the contact exponent is an equisingularity invariant and give a new proof of the stability of the maximal contact. Then we prove a bound for the Milnor number and determine the equisingularity class of algebroid curves for which this bound is attained. We do not use the method of Newton's diagrams. Our tool is the logarithmic distance developed in [GB-P1].
This is a survey on Zariski equisingularity. We recall its definition, main properties, and a variety of applications in Algebraic Geometry and Singularity Theory. In the first part of this survey, we consider Zariski equisingular families of complex analytic or algebraic hypersurfaces. We also discuss how to construct Zariski equisingular deformations. In the second part, we present Zariski equisingularity of hypersurfaces along a nonsingular subvariety and its relation to other equisingularity conditions. We also discuss the canonical stratification of such hypersurfaces given by the dimensi…
We study the Euler characteristic of the Milnor fibre of a hypersurface singularity. This invariant is given in terms of the Euler characteristic of a fibre in between the original singularity and its Milnor fibre and in terms of the Euler characteristics associated to strata of the in-between fibre. From this we can deduce a result of Massey and Siersma regarding singularities with a one-dimensional critical locus. The result is also applied to the study of equisingularity. The famous Briançon-Speder-Teissier result states that a family of isolated hypersurface singularities is equisingular i…
We study the equisingularity of a family of function germs $\{f_t\colon(X_t,0)\to (\mathbb{C},0)\}$, where $(X_t,0)$ are $d$-dimensional isolated determinantal singularities. We define the $(d-1)$th polar multiplicity of the fibers $X_t\cap f_t^{-1}(0)$ and we show how the constancy of the polar multiplicities is related to the constancy of the Milnor number of $f_t$ and the Whitney equisingularity of the family.
In the study of equisingularity of isolated singularities we have the classical theorem of Briancon, Speder and Teissier which states that a family of isolated hypersurface singularities is Whitney equisingular if and only if the mu^*-sequence for a hypersurface is constant in the family. In this paper we generalize to non-isolated hypersurface singularities. By assuming non-contractibility of strata of a Whitney stratification of the non-isolated singularities outside the origin we show that Whitney equisingularity of a family is equivalent to constancy of a certain selection of invariants fr…
In an unpublished lecture note, J. Briançon observed that if $\{f_t\}$ is a family of isolated complex hypersurface singularities such that the Newton boundary of $f_t$ is independent of $t$ and $f_t$ is non-degenerate, then the corresponding family of hypersurfaces $\{f_t^{-1}(0)\}$ is Whitney equisingular (and hence topologically equisingular). A first generalization of this assertion to families with non-isolated singularities was given by the second author under a rather technical condition. In the present paper, we give a new generalization under a simpler condition.
We study the topological triviality and the Whitney equisingularity of a family of isolated determinantal singularities. On one hand, we give a Lê-Ramanujam type theorem for this kind of singularities by using the vanishing Euler characteristic. On the other hand, we extend the results of Teissier and Gaffney about the Whitney equisingularity of hypersurfaces and complete intersections, respectively, in terms of the constancy of the polar multiplicities.
We study the Milnor monodromies of non-isolated hypersurface singularities and show that the reduced cohomology groups of the Milnor fibers are concentrated in the middle degree for some eigenvalues of the monodromies. As an application of this result, we give an explicit formula for some parts of their Jordan normal forms.
We present new results on equisingularity and equinormalizability of families with isolated non-normal singularities (INNS) of arbitrary dimension. We define a $δ$-invariant and a $μ$-invariant for an INNS and prove necessary and sufficient numerical conditions for equinormalizability and weak equinormalizability using $δ$ and $μ$. Moreover, we determine the number of connected components of the Milnor fibre of an arbitrary INNS. For families of generically reduced curves, we investigate the topological behavior of the Milnor fibre and characterize topological triviality of such families. Fina…
In this note we give a simple proof of the following relative analog of the well known Milnor-Palamodov theorem: the Bruce-Roberts number of a function relative to an isolated hypersurface singularity is equal to its topological Milnor number (the rank of a certain relative (co)homology group) if and only if the hypersurface singularity is quasihomogeneous. The proof relies on an interpretation of the Bruce-Roberts number in terms of differential forms and the Lê-Greuel formula.
Let $f$ be a germ of complex analytic function at $({\mathbf{C}}^{d+1}, 0)$ such that its zero level defines an irreducible germ of quasi-ordinary hypersurface $(S,0)$. We describe the motivic Igusa zeta function, the motivic Milnor fibre and the Hodge-Steenbrink spectrum of $f$ at 0 in terms of topological invariants of the quasi-ordinary hypersurface $(S,0)$.
We show that the Hirzebruch-Milnor class of a projective hypersurface, which gives the difference between the Hirzebruch class and the virtual one, can be calculated by using the Steenbrink spectra of local defining functions of the hypersurface if certain good conditions are satisfied, e.g. in the case of projective hyperplane arrangements, where we can give a more explicit formula. This is a natural continuation of our previous paper on the Hirzebruch-Milnor classes of complete intersections.
Let V be a projective hypersurface of fixed degree and dimension which has only isolated singular points. We show that, if the sum of the Milnor numbers at the singular points of V is large, then V cannot have a point of large multiplicity, unless V is a cone. As an application, we give an affirmative answer to a conjecture of Dimca and Papadima.
We introduce a class extending the notion of Chern-Mather class to possibly nonreduced schemes, and use it to express the difference between Schwartz-MacPherson's Chern class and the class of the virtual tangent bundle of a singular hypersurface of a nonsingular variety. Applications include constraints on the possible singularities of a hypersurface and on contacts of nonsingular hypersurfaces, and multiplicity computations.
We introduce spectral Hirzebruch-Milnor classes for singular hypersurfaces. These can be identified with Steenbrink spectra in the isolated singularity case, and may be viewed as their global analogues in general. Their definition uses vanishing cycles of mixed Hodge modules and the Todd class transformation. These are compatible with the pushforward by proper morphisms, and the classes can be calculated by using resolutions of singularities. Formulas for Hirzebruch-Milnor classes of projective hypersurfaces in terms of these classes are given in the case where the multiplicity of a generic hy…
We investigate the 0-th local cohomology of the Jacobian ring of a homogeneous polynomial defining a projective hypersurface whose singular locus is a 0-dimensional complete intersection.
This is the LaTeX version of the handwritten notes of a lecture at the Kyoto Singularities Symposium held at the RIMS in April 1978. It presents the relationship of various invariants of isolated singularities of complex analytic hypersurfaces with the jacobian Newton polygon built from the polar curves. An appendix presents features of the semiring of Newton polygons, because the product of Jacobian Newton polygons corresponds to the Thom-Sebastiani sum of hypersurfaces. Analogies between mixed multiplicities and mixed volumes are noticed. They have been explained since.
In the present paper MAPLE subroutines computing Milnor and Tyurina numbers of an isolated algebraic hypersurface singularity are presented and described in detail. They represents examples, and perhaps the first ones, of a MAPLE implementation of local monomial ordering. As an application, the last section is devoted to writing down equations of algebraic stratifications of Kuranishi spaces of simple Arnol'd singularities: they geometrically represents, by means of inclusions of algebraic subsets, the partial ordering on classes of simple singularities induced by the adjacency relation.
We give a criterion to test geometric properties such as Whitney equisingularity and Thom's $a_f$ condition for new families of (possibly non-isolated) hypersurface singularities that "behave well" with respect to their Newton diagrams. As an important corollary, we obtain that in such families all members have isomorphic Milnor fibrations.
Assume given a polynomially bounded o-minimal structure expanding the real numbers. Let $(T_s)_{s\in \mathbb{R}}$ be a globally definable one parameter family of $C^2$-hypersurfaces of $\mathbb{R}^n$. Upon defining the notion of generalized critical value for such a family we show that the functions $s \to |K(s)|$ and $s\to K(s)$, respectively the total absolute Gauss-Kronecker and total Gauss-Kronecker curvature of $T_s$, are continuous in any neighbourhood of any value which is not generalized critical. In particular this provides a necessary criterion of equisingularity for the family of th…
In this survey paper we give an overview on some aspects of singularities of algebraic varieties over an algebraically closed field of arbitrary characteristic. We review in particular results on equisingularity of plane curve singularities, classification of hypersurface singularities and determinacy of arbitrary singularities. The section on equisingularity has its roots in two important early papers by Antonio Campillo. One emphasis is on the differences between positive and zero characteristic and on open problems.
Given a nonconstant polynomial map over the reals having an isolated critical point in the origin and with zero locus of positive dimension, we establish a formula for the singular homology groups of a Milnor fibre relative to its boundary.
We show that every $μ$-constant family of isolated hypersurface singularities satisfying a nondegeneracy condition in the sense of Kouchnirenko, is topologically trivial, also is equimultiple.
We describe a new relation between the topology of hypersurface complements, Milnor fibers and degree of gradient mappings. The main tools are polar curves and the affine Lefschetz theory developped by H. Hamm and A. Némethi. In the special case of the hyperplane arrangements, we strengthen some results due to Orlik and Terao (see Math. Ann. 301(1995)) and obtain an independant proof for the minimality of hyperplane arrangements (see Randell math.AT/0011101 for another proof of this result).
In this paper we give a complete answer to a question posed by Dimca and Greuel about the quotient of the Milnor and Tjurina numbers of a plane curve singularity. We put this question into a general framework of the study of the difference of Milnor and Tjurina numbers for isolated complete intersection singularities showing its connection with other problems in singularity theory.
We extend the approach Abbott, Kedlaya and Roe to computation of the zeta function of a projective hypersurface with $τ$ isolated ordinary double points over a finite field $\mathbb{F}_q$ given by the reduction of a homogeneous polynomial $f \in \mathbb{Z}[x_0, \ldots, x_n]$, under the assumption of equisingularity over $\mathbb{Z}_q$. The algorithm is based on the results of Dimca and Saito (over the field $\mathbb{C}$ of complex numbers) on the pole order spectral sequence in the case of ordinary double points. We give some examples of explicit computations for surfaces in $\mathbb{P}^3$.
Using the semicontinuity of the Milnor number and the Łojasiewicz exponent, we give a simple proof of Yau's characterization of isolated homogenous hypersurface singularities.
In this work we study algebraic, geometric and topological properties of the Milnor classes of local complete intersections with arbitrary singularities. We describe first the Milnor class of the intersection of a finite number of hypersurfaces, under certain conditions of transversality, in terms of the Milnor classes of the hypersurfaces. Using this description we obtain a Parusiński-Pragacz type formula, an Aluffi type formula and a description of the Milnor class of the local complete intersection in terms of the global Lê cycles of the hypersurfaces that define it. We consider next the ge…
We describe an algorithm computing the monodromy and the pole order filtration on the top Milnor fiber cohomology of hypersurfaces in $\mathbb{P}^n$ whose pole order spectral sequence degenerates at the second page. In the case of hyperplane arrangements and free, locally quasi-homogeneous hypersurfaces, and assuming a key conjecture, this algorithm is much faster than for a hypersurface as above. Our conjecture is supported by the results due to L. Narv\' ez Macarro and M. Saito on the roots of Bernstein-Sato polynomials of such hypersurfaces, by all the examples computed so far, and by one p…
We prove a new formula for the Hirzebruch-Milnor classes of global complete intersections with arbitrary singularities describing the difference between the Hirzebruch classes and the virtual ones. This generalizes a formula for the Chern-Milnor classes in the hypersurface case that was conjectured by S. Yokura and was proved by A. Parusinski and P. Pragacz. It also generalizes a formula of J. Seade and T. Suwa for the Chern-Milnor classes of complete intersections with isolated singularities.
We describe a generalization of Milnor's formula for the Milnor number of an isolated hypersurface singularity to the case of a function $f$ whose restriction $f|(X,0)$ to an arbitrarily singular reduced complex analytic space $(X,0) \subset (\mathbb C^n,0)$ has an isolated singularity in the stratified sense. The corresponding analogue of the Milnor number, $μ_f(α;X,0)$, is the number of Morse critical points in a stratum $\mathscr S_α$ of $(X,0)$ in a morsification of $f|(X,0)$. Our formula expresses $μ_f(α;X,0)$ as a homological index based on the derived geometry of the Nash modification o…
We consider the topology for a class of hypersurfaces with highly nonisolated singularites which arise as exceptional orbit varieties of a special class of prehomogeneous vector spaces, which are representations of linear algebraic groups with open orbits. These hypersurface singularities include both determinantal hypersurfaces and linear free (and free*) divisors. Although these hypersurfaces have highly nonisolated singularities, we determine the topology of their Milnor fibers, complements and links. We do so by using the action of linear algebraic groups beginning with the complement, ins…
Let $ Φ: ({\mathbb C}^2, 0) \to ( {\mathbb C}^3, 0) $ be a finitely determined complex analytic germ and let $(\{f=0\},0)$ be the reduced equation of its image, a non-isolated hypersurface singularity. We provide the plumbing graph of the boundary of the Milnor fibre of $f$ from the double-point-geometry of $Φ$.
The chromatic polynomial of a graph G counts the number of proper colorings of G. We give an affirmative answer to the conjecture of Read and Rota-Heron-Welsh that the absolute values of the coefficients of the chromatic polynomial form a log-concave sequence. We define a sequence of numerical invariants of projective hypersurfaces analogous to the Milnor number of local analytic hypersurfaces. Then we give a characterization of correspondences between projective spaces up to a positive integer multiple which includes the conjecture on the chromatic polynomial as a special case. As a byproduct…
We build two embedded resolution procedures of a quasi-ordinary singularity of complex analytic hypersurface, by using toric morphisms which depend only on the characteristic monomials associated to a quasi-ordinary projection of the singularity. This result answers an open problem of Lipman in Equisingularity and simultaneous resolution of singularities, Resolution of Singularities, Progress in Mathematics No. 181, 2000, 485-503. In the first procedure the singularity is embedded as hypersurface. In the second procedure, which is inspired by a work of Goldin and Teissier for plane curves (see…
In this note we provide a formula for the Tjurina number of a join of isolated hypersurface singularities in separated variables. From this we are able to provide a characterization of isolated hypersurface singularities whose difference between the Milnor and Tjurina numbers is less or equal than two arising as the join of isolated hypersurface singularities in separated variables. Also, we are able to provide new upper bounds for the quotient of Milnor and Tjurina numbers of certain join of isolated hypersurface singularities. Finally, we deduce an upper bound for the quotient of Milnor and …
We prove that for any germ of complex analytic set in $\CC^n$ there exists a hypersurface singularity whose Milnor fibration has trivial geometric monodromy and fibre homotopic to the complement of the germ of complex analytic set. As an application we show an example of a quasi-homogeneous hypersurface singularity, with trivial geometric monodromy and simply connected and non-formal Milnor fibre.
In this series of lectures, I will discuss results for complex hypersurfaces with non-isolated singularities. In Lecture 1, I will review basic definitions and results on complex hypersurfaces, and then present classical material on the Milnor fiber and fibration. In Lecture 2, I will present basic results from Morse theory, and use them to prove some results about complex hypersurfaces, including a proof of Lê's attaching result for Milnor fibers of non-isolated hypersurface singularities. This will include defining the relative polar curve. Lecture 3 will begin with a discussion of intersect…
We consider the relative Bruce-Roberts number $μ_{BR}^{-}(f,X)$ of a function on an isolated hypersurface singularity $(X,0)$. We show that $μ_{BR}^{-}(f,X)$ is equal to the sum of the Milnor number of the fibre $μ(f^{-1}(0)\cap X,0)$ plus the difference $μ(X,0)-τ(X,0)$ between the Milnor and the Tjurina numbers of $(X,0)$. As an application, we show that the usual Bruce-Roberts number $μ_{BR}(f,X)$ is equal to $μ(f)+μ_{BR}^{-}(f,X)$. We also deduce that the relative logarithmic characteristic variety $LC(X)^-$, obtained from the logarithmic characteristic variety $LC(X)$ by eliminating the co…
The purpose, mainly expository and speculative, of this paper---an outgrowth of a survey lecture at the September 1997 Obergurgl working week---is to indicate some (not all) of the efforts that have been made to interpret equisingularity, and connections among them; and to suggest directions for further exploration. Zariski defined equisingularity on an n-dimensional hypersurface V via stratification by ``dimensionality type," an integer associated to a point by means of a generic local projection to affine n-space. A possibly more intuitive concept of equisingularity can be based on stratific…
We describe a new relation between the topology of hypersurface complements, Milnor fibers and degree of gradient mappings. In particular we show that any projective hypersurface has affine parts which are bouquets of spheres. The main tools are the polar curves and the affine Lefschetz theory developped by H. Hamm, D.T. Lê and A. Némethi. In the special case of the hyperplane arrangements, we strengthen some results due to Orlik and Terao (see Math. Ann. 301(1995)) and obtain the minimality of hyperplane arrangements (see Randell math.AT/0011101 for another proof of this result). This is then…
Suppose that $f$ defines a singular, complex affine hypersurface. If the critical locus of $f$ is one-dimensional, we obtain new general bounds on the ranks of the homology groups of the Milnor fiber of $f$. This result has an interesting implication on the structure of the vanishing cycles in the category of perverse sheaves.
We show that a family of isolated complete intersection singularities (ICIS) with constant total Milnor number has no coalescence of singularities. This extends a well known result of Gabrielov, Lazzeri and Lê for hypersurfaces. We use A'Campo's theorem to see that the Lefschetz number of the generic monodromy of the ICIS is zero when the ICIS is singular. We give a pair applications for families of functions on ICIS which extend also some known results for functions on a smooth variety.
We define the Segre numbers of an ideal as a generalization of the multiplicity of an ideal of finite colength. We prove generalizations of various theorems involving the multiplicity of an ideal such as a principle of specialization of integral dependence, the Rees-Böger theorem, and the formula for the multiplicity of the product of two ideals. These results are applied to the study of various equisingularity conditions, such as Verdier's condition W, and conditions $A_f$ and $W_f$.
Splice type surface singularities, introduced in 2002 by Neumann and Wahl, provide all examples known so far of integral homology spheres which appear as links of complex isolated complete intersections of dimension two. They are determined, up to a form of equisingularity, by decorated trees called splice diagrams. In 2005, Neumann and Wahl formulated their Milnor fiber conjecture, stating that any choice of an internal edge of a splice diagram determines a special kind of decomposition into pieces of the Milnor fibers of the associated singularities. These pieces are constructed from the Mil…
We prove a formula for the polar degree of projective hypersurfaces in terms of the Milnor data of the singularities, extending to 1-dimensional singularities the Dimca-Papadima result for isolated singularities. We discuss the semi-continuity of the polar degree in deformations, and we classify the homaloidal cubic surfaces with 1-dimensional singular locus. Some open questions are pointed out along the way.
