Actions of the groups \({\mathbb C}\) and \({\mathbb C^*}\) on Stein varieties (Q1018065)

In a joint paper with \textit{H. Movasati} [``\(C^*\)-actions on Stein analytic spaces with isolated singularities'', \url{arxiv:0709.0547}], the authors studied holomorphic \({\mathbb C}^*\)-actions on normal Stein surfaces when there is a dicritical singularity for the action, generalizing earlier results of \textit{P. Orlik} and \textit{P. Wagreich} [Ann. Math. (2) 93, 205--228 (1971; Zbl 0212.53702)] for ``good'' \({\mathbb C}^*\)-actions on 2-dimensional affine algebraic varieties embedded in \({\mathbb C}^{n+1}\). In particular, it is proved that there is a moduli space for such an action, see Theorem 4 (or Theorem 2 in [loc. cit.]). The present paper gives some further results concerning holomorphic \(\mathbb C\)-actions and \({\mathbb C}^*\)-actions on a normal Stein surface having isolated singularities. First it is noted that if \(\phi\) is a holomorphic \(\mathbb C\)-action on a Stein surface \(V\) with a dicritical singularity, then there exists a \({\mathbb C}^*\)-action \(\psi\) on \(V\) such that \(\phi_s = \psi_{\exp (s)}\). Next there is a classification of holomorphic \({\mathbb C}^*\)-actions with nondicritical singularities on a Stein surface \(V\) satisfying \(H^2(V, \mathbb Z)=0\) and \(H_1(V,\mathbb C)=0\), provided the action fulfills a regularity condition; see Theorem 7. The authors also show that quasi-algebraic actions of complex Lie groups on affine manifolds can be linearized; see Theorem 8. Section 3.3 contains a further study of geometric properties of holomorphic flows with isolated singularities on Stein surfaces. Finally, the paper closes with some open questions of interest concerning these types of actions.