A note on a topological approach to the \(\mu\)-constant problem in dimension 2 (Q395156)

The study of equisingularity is one of the main objet in singularity theory. The study dates back to [\textit{O. Zariski}, Am. J. Math. 87, 507--536 (1965; Zbl 0132.41601); Am. J. Math. 87, 972--1006 (1965; Zbl 0146.42502); Am. J. Math. 90, 961--1023 (1968; Zbl 0189.21405)]. One of the principal results is that if the Milnor number \(\mu\) is constant under a deformation of isolated hypersurface singularities in \(\mathbb C^{n+1}\), where \(n \neq 2\), then the deformation is topologically trivial. This fact was proved in [\textit{Lê Dung Tráng}, C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. A 272, 138--140 (1971; Zbl 0209.24402); Compos. Math. 25, 281--321 (1972; Zbl 0245.14003); \textit{Lê Dũng Tráng} and \textit{C. P. Ramanujam}, Am. J. Math. 98, 67--78 (1976; Zbl 0351.32009)]. The case \(n = 1\) is simple and relies on a full classification of the singularities of plane curves [Zbl 0132.41601], while in the case \(n > 2\) the \(h\)-cobordism theorem is used, and the proof is purely topological. For \(n = 2\) the problem is still open. There is a natural question: Can one prove the \(\mu\)-constant conjecture in dimension 2 using only properties of cobordisms of graph manifolds? The authors give an example, which shows that studying homological and homotopical properties of cobordisms between arbitrary (i.e., not necessarily negative) graph manifolds is not enough to prove the \(\mu\)-constant conjecture in complex dimension 2.