Introduction to singularities and deformations (Q7009475)

The first edition of this book (reviewed in [Zbl 1125.32013]) has become a standard reference for singularity theory and deformations of complex analytic germs. The book is enlarged by a new, third chapter on singularities in arbitrary characteristic, mainly based on the work of the authors and collaborators. Except for the correction of errors and improvement of some of the proofs, the text of the first two chapters is unchanged. For the enormous development in the last twenty years of the theory over the complex numbers the Authors refer to the ``Handbook of Geometry and Topology of Singularities'' [Zbl 1470.58001; Zbl 1477.32001; Zbl 1487.32005; Zbl 1545.32001; Zbl 1539.58001; Zbl 1540.58001; Zbl 1560.58001].\N\NOne of the topics in the new chapter is the classification of singularities. Given a formal power series \(f\in K[[x]]\), with \(K\) any field, one calls \(f\) or the analytic \(K\)-algebra \(K[[x]]/\langle f\rangle\) a hypersurface singularity. As in the complex analytic case the actions of the right and the contact group are defined, and the Milnor and Tjurina numbers. Using the Lefschetz principle it is shown that in characteristic zero the Milnor number is invariant under contact equivalence, but this no longer holds in positive characteristic. The bounds for finite determinacy are worse in positive characteristic. A survey on finite determinacy is given, not only for power series but also for ideals and matrices of power series. The tangent space to the orbit of a group action has to be replaced by the ``tangent image'' in positive characteristic. The first section is concluded with a discussion of non-degeneracy and wild vanishing cycles.\N\NThe next section gives general results about semicontinuity. For the classification one has to consider families of power series parametrised by algebraic schemes. The usual fibers are replaced by the completed fibres (over non-closed points). To this end the completed tensor product of modules over the power series ring \(A[[x]]\) is defined and studied. In general the fiber dimension is not semicontinous on \(\operatorname{Spec} A\), but this holds for the completed fiber dimension. As consequence the semicontinuity of \(\mu\) and \(\tau\) is obtained. It is also proved that the \(\delta\)-invariant is semicontinuous in families of parametrisations of reduced curve singularities. The semicontinuity has surprising applications in the computation of local standard bases of zero dimensional ideals, which are by magnitudes faster than previously known methods.\N\NThe third section is about the classification of singularities. First a version of the Mather-Yau theorem in positive characteristic is proved. Then modality is defined. The classification of contact simple hypersurface singularities, over an algebraically closed field is analogous to the complex one: the simple singularities are the \(ADE\) singularities, with some extra normal forms in small characteristics. The right classification is very different in characteristic \(p\). A univariate power series \(f\) is right simple if and only if \(\mu(f)<p\). For plane curve singularities the simple ones are \(A_k\) with \(k<p-1\), \(D_k\) with \(k<p\) and \(E_6\), \(E_7\) for \(p>3\) and \(E_8\) for \(p>5\). Also the classification of left-right simple and unimodal parametrisations of plane branches is given, and of simple complete intersections (in characteristic \(p\) only the case of dimension zero).\N\NThe last section treats equisingularity for curve in positive characteristic. Equisingular deformations of the parametrisation are defined in a similar way as in the complex case in Chapter 2. The base space of the semiuniversal deformation is smooth. An equisingular deformation of the parametrisation induces a deformation of the equation, and the image of the equisingular deformations gives by definition the equisingular deformations of the equation, and the base space is smooth. In bad characteristics new phenomena occur. There are deformations that are not equisingular but become so after a finite base change. The functor of such weakly equisingular deformations has a semiunversal object, whose base space becomes in general only smooth after a finite and purely inseparable base extension.\N\NThe chapter is concluded by two appendices. The first one by Dmitry Kerner treats large submodules within group orbits, which leads to determinacy criteria for singularities in very general contexts. The second appendix by Ilya Tyomkin deals with the geometry of Severi varieties, mainly on toric varieties. It discusses irreducibility of Severi varieties of the plane in arbitrary characteristic, with a focus on the characteristic free approach based on tropical geometry.