Multiplicity of complex hypersurface singularities, Rouché satellites and Zariski's problem (Q886278)

Let \(f, g : (\mathbb C^n, 0) \to (\mathbb C,0)\) be reduced germs of holomorphic functions. A closed disc \(D\) in a complex line through \(0\) is said to be good for \(f\) and \(g\) if \(D\cap (V_f\cup V_g)=\{0\}\), where \(V_f=\{f=0\}\). The function \(g\) is called a Rouché satellite of \(f\) if there exists a good disc \(D\) for \(f\) and \(g\) such that \(| f(z)-g(z)| <| f(z)| \) on the boundary of \(D\). The authors prove that \(V_f\) and \(V_g\) have the same multiplicity at \(0\) if and only if there exist reduced germs \(f', g'\) such that \(V_f\) (resp., \(V_g\)) is analytically equivalent to \(V_{f'}\) (resp., \(V_{g'}\)) and \(g'\) is a Rouché satellite of \(f'\). This theorem provides a reformulation of Zariski's multiplicity question and some partial answers. For example, if \(g=f\circ \varphi\) with an \(f\)-small homeomorphism \(\varphi : (\mathbb C^n, 0) \to (\mathbb C^n,0)\), then \(V_f\) and \(V_g\) have the same multiplicity.