Versal base spaces of minimally elliptic singularities (Q1913327)

Let \(X \subset \mathbb{C}^n\) be a minimally elliptic surface singularity. In the case where \(X\) has the multiplicity less than six the base space \(S\) of its semi-universal deformation is smooth. An interesting example of \(X\) with multiplicity six is considered by \textit{H. Pinkham} in Astérisque 20, 1-131 (1974; Zbl 0304.14006). In particular, he computes explicitly \(S\) for the cone over an elliptic curve in \(P^5\). It turns out that \(S\) is singular. Furthermore, \(S\) can be presented as the product of a smooth factor (more exactly, a line) and the cone over the Segre embedding of \(P^1 \times P^2\) in \(P^5\). In 1991 \textit{J. Stevens} proved [`On deformations of singularities of low dimension and codimension: base space and smoothing components', DFG-Forschungsschwerpunkt Komplexe Mannigfaltigkeiten, Schriftenreihe, Heft Nr. 129, Erlangen (1991)] that for arbitrary minimally elliptic surface singularity with multiplicity six the base space of its semi-universal deformations is described analogously. In the note under review the author obtains the similar result under the restriction that the tangent cone of \(X\) is reduced. His proof is based essentially on methods developed in [\textit{T. de Jong} and \textit{D. van Straten}, Ann. Math., II. Ser. 134, No. 1, 653-678 (1991; Zbl 0765.32018)]. In conclusion some applications to the case of minimally elliptic quintuple points are discussed.