The perverse eigenspace of one for the Milnor monodromy (Q2675332)

Let \(U\) be an open neighborhood of the origin in \(\mathbb C^{n+1}\), where \(n \geqslant 2\), and let \(f \colon (U, 0) \rightarrow (\mathbb C, 0)\) be a reduced, nowhere locally constant, complex analytic function. Then the preimage \(f^{-1}(0)\) determines a hypersurface \(X\) in \(U\) of pure dimension \(n\) and the singular set of \(X\) is equal to the intersection of the hypersurface with the critical locus of \(f\). The author considers two perverse sheaves on \(X\): the shifted constant sheaf \(\mathbb Z^\bullet_X[n]\) and the intersection cohomology complex \(\mathbf I^\bullet_X\) with constant \(\mathbb Z\)-coefficients. It is well known that there is a canonical morphism \(\tau_X\) from the first sheaf to the second one, which is a surjection in the abelian category of perverse sheaves with middle perversity on \(X\) (see [\textit{M. Goresky} and \textit{R. MacPherson}, Invent. Math. 72, 77--129 (1983; Zbl 0529.55007)]). He then defines the comparison complex \(\mathbf N^\bullet_X\) as the kernel of \(\tau_X\) and proves that there is an isomorphism \(\mathbf N^\bullet_X \cong\ker(\mathrm{id}-\widetilde{T}_f)\), where \(\widetilde{T}_f\) is the monodromy automorphism on the vanishing cycles along \(f\). The author also remarks that in the algebraic setting with field coefficients an analogous result can be obtained from the papers [\textit{A. A. Beilinson}, Lect. Notes Math. 1298, 42--51 (1987; Zbl 0651.14009); \textit{R. Reich}, J. Singul. 1, 94--115 (2010; Zbl 1291.14034); \textit{M. Saito}, Publ. Res. Inst. Math. Sci. 26, No. 2, 221--333 (1990; Zbl 0727.14004)]. In conclusion he emphasizes that a similar isomorphism \(\mathbb Z^\bullet_X[n]\cong\ker(\mathrm{id}-T_f)\) for the nearby cycles and their monodromy \(T_f\) ``is very unsatisfying, since it means that \(\ker(\mathrm{id}-T_f)\) does not detect the singular set of \(X\) at all''. Then some useful comments, applications and possible generalizations to the case of functions given on locally complete intersections or even on arbitrary singular spaces \(U\) are discussed in detail.