Seiberg-Witten invariants and surface singularities (Q1409067)

Let \(X\) be the germ of a normal surface singularity \((X,o)\) whose link \(M\) is a rational homology sphere, let \(\pi \colon \widetilde{X} \rightarrow X\) be a resolution of the singularity, and let \(K\) be the canonical class of \(\widetilde{X}.\) It is assumed that the exceptional divisor \(E = \pi^{-1}(o)\) has normal crossings. The authors analyze the following hypothetical upper bound for the geometric genus of the singularity: \(sw_M(\sigma_{\text{ca}n})- {1\over 8}(K^2+ \#(E)) \geq p_g,\) where the first term is a rational number, the Seiberg-Witten invariant associated to the canonical \(\text{spin}^c\) structure of \(M,\) and \(\#(E)\) is the number of irreducible components of \(\pi^{-1}(o).\) In fact, \((K^2 + \#(E))\) does not depend on the choice of the resolution \(\pi.\) The authors further conjecture that for a \(\mathbb{Q}\)-Gorenstein singularity the inequality becomes equality, while for a smoothable Gorenstein singularity \(-sw_M(\sigma_{\text{can}}) = {1\over 8}\sigma(F).\) Here \(\sigma(F)\) is the signature of the Milnor fiber \(F\) of a smoothing. It should be remarked when \(X\) is a suspension hypersurface singularity or Brieskorn-Hamm complete intersection with \(H_1(M,Z)=0\) then \({1\over 8}\sigma(F)\) is equal to the Casson invariant \(\lambda(M)\) of the link \(M\) [\textit{W. Neumann} and \textit{J. Wahl}, Comment. Math. Helv. 65, 58-78 (1990; Zbl 0704.57007)]. Making use of the Reidemeister-Turaev sign refined torsion theory for rational homology \(3\)-manifolds [\textit{V. G. Turaev}, Math. Res. Lett. 4, 679-695 (1997; Zbl 0891.57019)], properties of the Fourier transform, the generalized Fourier-Dedekind and Dedekind-Rademacher sums, and some other considerations the authors verify their conjectures by direct computations for several rational, cyclic quotient and other types of minimally elliptic singularities, for Brieskorn-Hamm complete intersections, etc. They underline that the obtained results extend and generalize earlier works of M. Artin, H. Laufer, S. S.-T. Yau, and many others [see, e.g. \textit{M. Artin}, Am. J. Math. 88, 129-136 (1966; Zbl 0142.18602), \textit{H. Laufer}, Am. J. Math. 99, 1257-1295 (1977; Zbl 0384.32003) and \textit{S. S.-T. Yau}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 257, 269-329 (1980; Zbl 0343.32009)].