Quasi-Canonical Uniformization of Hypersurface Singularities of Characteristic Zero (Q4029253)

The problem of resolving the singularities of an algebraic variety by a sequence of birational transformations has a long history. A ground- breaking step forward was made in 1940, when O. Zariski developed an ingenious method for uniformizing hypersurface singularities (in characteristic zero) by a process of successive substitutions of variables in polynomial or power series [cf. \textit{O. Zariski}, Ann. Math., II. Ser. 41, 852-896 (1940; Zbl 0025.21601)]. Then, in 1964, H. Hironaka gave an affirmative answer to the whole problem of resolving singularities in characteristic zero, essentially by generalizing Zariski's approach to a general process of successive ``permissible'' blow-up transformations, expressible in the full scheme-theoretic framework [cf. \textit{H. Hironaka}, Ann. Math., II. Ser. 79, 109-326 (1964; Zbl 0122.386)]. After that celebrated paper of Hironaka's, many attempts have been undertaken to analyse the constructiveness of his process of desingularization in various concrete situations. Among them are the papers of \textit{S. S. Abhyankar} [cf. ``Weighted expansions for canonical desingularization'', Lect. Notes Math. 910 (1982; Zbl 0479.14009)], \textit{O. E. Villamayor} [Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér., IV. Sér. 22, No. 1, 1-32 (1989; Zbl 0675.14003)], \textit{E. Bierstone} and \textit{P. Milman} [J. Am. Math. Soc. 2, No. 4, 801-836 (1989; Zbl 0685.32007)] and others. In the present paper, the author provides another approach to the presentation and uniformization of hypersurface singularities. Generalizing Zariski's method and systematizing Hironaka's ``quasi- canonical resolution procedure'' for hypersurface singularities with a normal crossing factor, he constructs a numerical sequence for any hypersurface singularity, which classifies the singularity completely and, moreover, describes a permissible resolution procedure in a very concrete and effective way. As the author points out, his systematized approach has the advantage of being applicable to the study of hypersurface singularities in positive characteristic, too [cf. the author, Publ. Res. Inst. Math. Sci. 23, No. 6, 965-973 (1987; Zbl 0657.14002)].