The index of grad f(x,y)

DOI10.1016/S0040-9383(97)00089-XMaRDI QIDQ1292643zbMATH OpenFDO

Authors Alan H. Durfee

Publication date 11 July 2000

Published in Topology (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/alg-geom/9506002

zbMATH Keywords

indexreal polynomialisolated critical points

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Critical points and critical submanifolds in differential topology (57R70) Critical points of functions and mappings on manifolds (58K05)

Abstract: Let $f(x,y)$ be a real polynomial of degree $d$ with isolated critical points, and let $i$ be the index of $gradf$ around a large circle containing the critical points. An elementary argument shows that $|i|leqd-1$. In this paper we show that $ileqmax1,d-3$. We also show that if all the level sets of $f$ are compact, then $i=1$, and otherwise $|i|leqdr-1$ where $dr$ is the sum of the multiplicities of the real linear factors in the homogeneous term of highest degree in $f$. The technique of proof involves computing $i$ from information at infinity. The index $i$ is broken up into a sum of components $i_{p,c}$ corresponding to points $p$ in the real line at infinity and limiting values $cinealinf$ of the polynomial. The numbers $i_{p,c}$ are computed in three ways: geometrically, from a resolution of $f(x,y)$, and from a Morsification of $f(x,y)$. The $i_{p,c}$ also provide a lower bound for the number of vanishing cycles of $f(x,y)$ at the point $p$ and value $c$.

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Cited in

(8)

• The degree at infinity of the gradient of a polynomial in two real variables
• On the Relation between Index and Multiplicity
• On the index of the gradient of a real invertible polynomial
• Real homogeneous polynomials with gradient of isolated singularity
• On types of degenerate critical points of real polynomial functions
• The computation of the index of a Morse function at a critical point
• Geometry and topology of proper polynomial mappings
• Extrema of a real polynomial

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