On (-<Emphasis Type="Italic">P</Emphasis> ? <Emphasis Type="Italic">P</Emphasis>)-constant deformations of Gorenstein surface singularities

Let : X T be a small deformation of a normal Gorenstein surface singularity X ₀ = ^-1(0) over the complex number field . Suppose that T is a neighborhood of the origin of and that X ₀ is not log-canonical. We show that if a topological invariant -P _t P _t of X _t = ^-1(t) is constant, then, after a suitable finite base change, admits a simultaneous resolution f : M X which induces a locally trivial deformation of each maximal string of rational curves at an end of the exceptional set of M ₀ X ₀; in particular, if X ₀ has a star-shaped resolution graph, then admits a weak simultaneous resolution (in other words, is an equisingular deformation).