On the splitting principle of Beniamino Segre (Q2159753)

In the paper under review, the authors prove a stronger version of the classical principle of connectedness saying that if the general member \(X_t\) of a flat family \(X \to T\) over an irreducible curve of finite type is connected, then \(X_t\) is connected for all \(t \in T\). The authors present with the language of modern algebraic geometry a result about the irreducibility of fibers of a flat family of nodal curves lying on a smooth surface. The result was firstly claimed by Beniamino Segre in 1938 [8].