Some remarks on the geometry and classification of germs of maps from surfaces to 3-space (Q1108417)

There exist two isolated stable singularities of map germs f: (\({\mathbb{C}}^ 2,\)0)\(\to ({\mathbb{C}}^ 3,\)0) - the cross-cap and the triple point. Under the hypothesis that the rank of f at 0 is 1, it is shown how to count the number C(f) of cross-caps in a generic deformation of f and also the number T(f) of triple points. A new integer-valued invariant N(f) is introduced whose finiteness, together with that of C(f) and T(f), is equivalent to finite \({\mathcal A}\)-determinacy of f. Thus, the triple (C,T,N) plays the role of the Milnor number.