Two-dimensional homology of the complement of an algebraic curve in \(\mathbb C^2\) and \((\mathbb C\backslash\{ 0\})^2\). (Q1599441)

Let \(C\) be an affine plane complex curve. The author investigates the homology groups \(H_2(\mathbb{C}^2\setminus C)\) and \(H_2(T^2\setminus C)\) of its complements in the plane and the torus \(T^2=(\mathbb{C}^*)^2\) under the assumption that there exists a smooth toric compactification of the plane (or the torus) such that the closure of \(C\) has normal intersection with the complement (in the last section, combinatorial conditions are given to guarantee the existence of such a compactification). In the case that \(C\) is given by a Laurent polynomial which is sufficiently general among those with the same Newton polygon, explicit formulae are derived in terms of the Milnor numbers \(\mu_a\) at the singular points of \(C\) and the number of points inside (resp. on the boundary of) the Newton polygon \(\#\Delta ^0 \) (resp. \(\#d\Delta \)). In the torus case, the formula is for instance \[ H_2(T^2\setminus C)=2\#\Delta ^0 + \#d\Delta -\sum_{a\in \text{Sing}C} \mu_a; \] it is of similar type in the affine case.