Topology of the compactified Jacobians of singular curves

We compute the Euler number of the compactified Jacobian of a curve whose minimal unibranched normalization has only plane irreducible singularities with characteristic Puiseux exponents (p, q), (4, 2q, s), (6, 8, s), or (6, 10, s). Further, we derive a combinatorial method to compute the Betti numbers of the compactified Jacobian of an unibranched rational curve with singularities like above. Some of the Betti numbers can be stated explicitly.     

Taut,pseudotaut and equisingularly rigid singularities

The aim of this paper is to find all plane curve singularities that are taut resp. pseudotaut. It turns out that this problem coincides with the determination of equisingularly rigid singularities. The latter one is achieved in the irreducible case by explicit construction of nontrivial deformations usiing analytical invariants of the Puiseux expansion introduced by Kasner and Zariski, in the reducible case with a cohomological criterion for the triviality of Wahl's functor ES of equisingular deformations of a resolution. Equisingular rigidity is the same as K-zero- or unimodality with discrete parameter. An application is the determination of all equisingularly rigid double points of surfaces, which are just the stabilizations of equisingularly rigid plane curve singularities.     

On Mordell–Weil groups of isotrivial abelian varieties over function fields

We show that the Mordell–Weil rank of an isotrivial abelian variety with cyclic holonomy depends only on the fundamental group of the complement to the discriminant, provided the discriminant has singularities in CM class introduced here. This class of singularities includes all unibranched plane curves singularities. As a corollary, we describe a family of simple Jacobians over the field of rational functions in two variables for which the Mordell–Weil rank is arbitrarily large.     

A note on a question of Dimca and Greuel

In this note, we give a positive answer to a question of Dimca and Greuel about the quotient between the Milnor and Tjurina numbers of an isolated plane curve singularity in the cases of one Puiseux pair and semi-quasi-homogeneous singularities.     

Algorithm for the Semigroup of a Space Curve Singularity

The semigroup of values of irreducible space curve singularities is the set of intersection multiplicities among hypersurfaces and the given curve. It is an invariant of the singularity, and for plane curves it characterizes the equisingularity type considered by Zariski. For space curve singularities the semigroup of values is a numerical semigroup and it can not be computed by means of the exponents of any Puiseux parametrization, as in the plane case. We obtain an algorithm for calculating the semigroup of values of a space curve singularity, which determines the generators of the semigroup and the valuation ideals associated with the semigroup. We give a Maple version of the algorithm.     

Resolving singularities with Cartan’s prolongation

A standard method for resolving a plane curve singularity is the method of blow-up. We describe a less-known alternative method which we call prolongation, in honor of Cartan’s work in this direction. This method is known to algebraic geometers as Nash blow-up. With each application of prolongation the dimension of the ambient space containing the new “prolonged” singularity increases by one. The new singularity is tangent to a canonical plane field on the ambient space. Our main result asserts that the two methods, blow-up and prolongation, yield the same resolution for unibranched singularities. The primary difficulties encountered are around understanding the prolongation analogues of the exceptional divisors from blow-up. These analogues are called critical curves. Most of the critical curves are abnormal extremals in the sense of optimal control theory as it applies to rank 2 distributions (2 controls). Dedicated to V. I. Arnol’d and his creative force     

Numerical realization of the conditions of Max NSther＇s residual intersection theorem

The aim of this paper is to study numerical realization of the conditions of Max Nother＇s residual intersection theorem. The numerical realization relies on obtaining the inter- section of two algebraic curves by homotopy continuation method, computing the approximate places of an algebraic curve, getting the exact orders of a polynomial at the places, and determin- ing the multiplicity and character of a point of an algebraic curve. The numerical experiments show that our method is accurate, effective and robust without using multiprecision arithmetic, even if the coefficients of algebraic curves are inexact. We also conclude that the computational complexity of the numerical realization is polynomial time.     

On Some Classical Methods to Improve Algebraic Curves and Surfaces

First, a modern presentation of the theory of the Halphen transform is given. This method associates to a plane projective curve C, once a general conic has been chosen, another birationally equivalent plane curve, whose singularities are simpler than those of C. Repeating, a curve is obtained whose only singularities are nodes. Next, it is studied how to apply this process to a family of plane curves. With this technique it is possible to transform a given family (with irreducible general member) into one where, generically, the curves are nodal. Finally, it is studied a similar process, called the Halphen–Picard transformation, for surfaces in three-space. By suitably reiterating this procedure, a surface can be transformed into a birationally equivalent one (in the same projective space), such that the sections with planes in a general pencil are, generically, nodal curves.     

Monodromy of real isolated singularities

Complex conjugation on complex space permutes the level sets of a real polynomial function and induces involutions on level sets corresponding to real values. For isolated complex hypersurface singularities with real defining equation we show the existence of a monodromy vector field such that complex conjugation intertwines the local monodromy diffeomorphism with its inverse. In particular, it follows that the geometric monodromy is the composition of the involution induced by complex conjugation and another involution. This topological property holds for all isolated complex plane curve singularities. Using real morsifications, we compute the action of complex conjugation and of the other involution on the Milnor fiber of real plane curve singularities.     

Application of classical invariant theory to biholomorphic classification of plane curve singularities,and associated binary forms

We use classical invariant theory to solve the biholomorphic equivalence problem for two families of plane curve singularities previously considered in the literature. Our calculations motivate an intriguing conjecture that proposes a method for extracting a complete set of invariants of homogeneous plane curve singularities from their moduli algebras.     

On Campedelli branch loci

We construct new degree ten plane curves having six [3, 3] points that do not belong to a conic and degree ten plane curves with five [3, 3] points and a quadruple point, having the six singularities that again do not lie on a conic. In the second family we find an irriducible curve.

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Sunto Si costruiscono nuove curve piane di ordine dieci dotate di sei punti [3, 3] che non giacciono su una conica e curve di ordine dieci dotate di cinque punti [3, 3] e di un punto quadruplo ancora non giacenti su una conica. Nella seconda famiglia si è presentata una curva irriducibile.

     

A polynomial-time complexity bound for the computation of the singular part of a Puiseux expansion of an algebraic function

In this paper we present a refined version of the Newton polygon process to compute the Puiseux expansions of an algebraic function defined over the rational function field. We determine an upper bound for the bit-complexity of computing the singular part of a Puiseux expansion by this algorithm, and use a recent quantitative version of Eisenstein's theorem on power series expansions of algebraic functions to show that this computational complexity is polynomial in the degrees and the logarithm of the height of the polynomial defining the algebraic function.

     

Equisingular Deformations of Sandwiched Singularities

We relate the equisingular deformation theory of plane curve singularities and sandwiched surface singularities. We show the existence of a smooth map between the two corresponding deformation functors and study the kernel of this map. In particular we show that the map is an isomorphism when a certain invariant is large enough.     

Coxeter-Dynkin diagrams of some space curve singularities

The so called wedge singularities, that consist of a plane curve singularity C and a line transverse to the plane of C, are the simplest space curve singularities which are not a complete intersection. We show that for every wedge singularity X there is an isolated complete intersection singularity Y related to X and we describe the discriminant of X in terms of Y. We also show that the monodromy group of X corresponds to the one of Y.Furthermore, we calculate Coxeter-Dynkin diagrams for some space curve singularities of multiplicity three. To this end we apply real-morsification-techniques.     

Versal Deformations in Spaces of Polynomials of Fixed Weight

This work was largely inspired by a paper of Shustin, in which he proves that for a plane curve of given degree n whose singularities are not too complicated the singularities are versally unfolded by embedding the curve in the space of all curves of degree n; however, our methods are very different. The main result gives fairly explicit lower bounds on the sum of the Tjurina numbers at the singularities of a deformation of a weighted-homogeneous hypersurface, when the deformation is the fibre over an unstable point of an appropriate unfolding. The result is sufficiently flexible to cover a variety of applications, some of which we describe. In particular, we will deduce a generalisation of Shustin's result. Properties of discriminant matrices of unfoldings of weighted-homogeneous functions are crucial to the arguments; the parts of the theory needed are described.     

Evolutes of Hyperbolic Plane Curves

Abstract We define the notion of evolutes of curves in a hyperbolic plane and establish the relationships between singularities of these subjects and geometric invariants of curves under the action of the Lorentz group. We also describe how we can draw the picture of an evolute of a hyperbolic plane curve in the Poincaré disk.     

Puiseux Expansions and Nonisolated Points in Algebraic Varieties

We consider the problem of deciding whether a common solution to a multivariate polynomial equation system is isolated or not. We present conditions on a given truncated Puiseux series vector centered at the point ensuring that it is not isolated. In addition, in the case that the set of all common solutions of the system has dimension 1, we obtain further conditions specifying to what extent the given vector of truncated Puiseux series coincides with the initial part of a parametrization of a curve of solutions passing through the point.     

Singularities of the Minkowski set and affine equidistants for a curve and a surface

Generic singularities of envelopes of families of chords and bifurcations of affine equidistants defined by a pair of a curve and a surface in R³ are classified. The chords join pairs of points of the curve and the surface such that the tangent line to the curve is parallel to the tangent plane to the surface. The classification contains singularities of stable Lagrange and Legendre projections, boundary singularities and some less known classes appearing at the points of the surface and the curve themselves.     

Integral relations for pointed curves in a real projective plane

We study some global projective properties of real plane curves with cusps, beaks and normal crossings. Starting from Fabricius-Bjerre's formula on the singularities of a curve in an affine plane, we describe its extension to a projective setting. Given a curve RP², by fixing a base point we associate some indices to its singularities and double tangents. We prove two global relations linking these entities together.     

A reformulation of Le's conjecture

We give a new proof of Le's conjecture on surface germs in ?³ having as link a topological sphere for the case of surface singularities containing a smooth curve. Our proof leads to a reformulation of the general case of the conjecture into a problem of plane curve singularities and their relative polar curves.