Le polynôme d'Alexander d'une courbe plane projective. (The Alexander polynomial of a projective plane curve) (Q1813889)

Let \(C\) be a reduced projective plane curve of degree \(d\) having \(r\) irreducible components. The complement of \(C\) and a general line \(L\) has associated to it an infinite cyclic covering, and the Alexander polynomial of \(C\), denoted \(\Delta_ C\), is defined to be the Alexander polynomial of this cyclic covering. (This is independent of the choice of \(L\) as long as \(L\) is transverse to \(C\).) If one knows the fundamental group \(\pi_ 1(\mathbb{P}^ 2-C)\) then it is known how to compute \(\Delta_ C\). The main result of the present paper shows how to compute \(\Delta_ C\) without knowing \(\pi_ 1(\mathbb{P}^ 2-C)\). The main theorem (theorem 4.1) is a formula giving \(\Delta_ C\) as a product of polynomials associated to the singularity spectra of the various singular points of \(C\). The authors point out that a similar result (but formulated differently and making stronger hypotheses on the curve and its singularities) is obtained by \textit{A. Libgober} [Singularities, Summer Inst., Arcata/Calif. 1981, Proc. Symp. Pure Math. 40, Part 2, 135-143 (1983; Zbl 0536.14009)].