Milnor numbers and Euler obstruction (Q2576719)

Let \((X,0)\) be a singular germ and \(f\) a function with an isolated critical point at \(0\). The Euler obstruction of \(f\) at \(0\), \(\text{Eu}_f(X,0)\) is the obstruction to extend the conjugate of the gradient of the function \(f\) as a section of the Nash bundle of \((X,0)\). The paper relates the Euler obstruction to the number of Morse points in a Morsification of \(f\). In case \((X,0)\) is a complete intersection with isolated singularity, \(\text{Eu}_f(X,0)\) coincides with the highest Betti number of the Milnor fibre of \(f\). Furthermore \(\text{Eu}_f(X,0)\) is compared with the generalizations of Lê, resp., Goryunov, Mond, van Straten, of the Milnor number for functions with isolated singularity on singular spaces.