Connectedness of Milnor fibres and Stein factorization of compactifiable holomorphic functions (Q2214904)

A classical result in singularity theory is that the Milnor fibre of a function of \(n + 1\) complex variables with isolated singularity has the homotopy type of a bouquet of \(n\)-spheres, in particular, the Milnor fibre is connected if \(n > 0\). In [Methods Appl. Anal. 24, No. 2, 215--276 (2017; Zbl 1387.14020), Section 8], \textit{G.-M. Greuel} asked if there is a weaker hypothesis which ensures connectedness. The present work considers conditions under which the Milnor fibre of a holomorphic function on a singular space is connected. In this case the special fibre is contractible, hence connected. So the work passes to a more general question: compare the number of connected components of the fibres of a holomorphic function. Useful ingredients are local Lefschetz theorems and some kind of a Stein factorization.