Eugenii I. Shustin

In the second edition we do not only correct errors, update references and improve some of the proofs of the text of the first edition, but also add a new chapter on singularities in arbitrary characteristic. We give an overview of several aspects of singularities of algebraic varieties and formal power series defined over a field of arbitrary characteristic (algebraically closed or not). Almost all of the results presented here appeared after the publication of the first edition and some results are new. In particular, we treat, in arbitrary characteristic, the classical invariants of hypersurface singularities, and we review results on the equisingularity of plane curve singularities, on the classification of parametrizations of plane branches, and on hypersurface and complete intersection singularities with small moduli. Moreover, we discuss and prove determinacy and semicontinuity results of families of ideals and matrices of power series parametrized by an arbitrary Noether base scheme, which are used to prove open loci properties for several singularity invariants. 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. The chapter contains two appendices. One is by Dmitry Kerner on large submodules within group orbits, which relates to determinacy criteria for singularities in very general contexts. It is focused on methods applicable to a broad class of fields of arbitrary characteristic, while before the theory was mainly restricted to zero characteristic. The second appendix is by Ilya Tyomkin and deals with the geometry of Severi varieties, mainly on toric varieties. It discusses the breakthrough solution to the problem on the irreducibility of Severi varieties of the plane in arbitrary characteristic, with a focus on the characteristic free approach based on tropical geometry. We try to be self-contained and give proofs whenever possible. However, due to the amount of material, this is not always possible, and we then give precise references to the original sources.

Singularity theory is a field of intensive study in modern mathematics with fascinating relations to algebraic geometry, complex analysis, commutative algebra, representation theory, theory of Lie groups, topology, dynamical systems, and many more, and with numerous applications in the natural and technical sciences. This book presents the basic singularity theory of analytic spaces, including local deformation theory, and the theory of plane curve singularities. Plane curve singularities are a classical object of study, rich of ideas and applications, which still is in the center of current research and as such provides an ideal introduction to the general theory. Deformation theory is an important technique in many branches of contemporary algebraic geometry and complex analysis. This introductory text provides the general framework of the theory while still remaining concrete. In the first part of the book the authors develop the relevant techniques, including the Weierstraß preparation theorem, the finite coherence theorem etc., and then treat isolated hypersurface singularities, notably the finite determinacy, classification of simple singularities and topological and analytic invariants. In local deformation theory, emphasis is laid on the issues of versality, obstructions, and equisingular deformations. The book moreover contains a new treatment of equisingular deformations of plane curve singularities including a proof for the smoothness of the mu-constant stratum which is based on deformations of the parameterization. Computational aspects of the theory are discussed as well. Three appendices, including basic facts from sheaf theory, commutative algebra, and formal deformation theory, make the reading self-contained. The material, which can be found partly in other books and partly in research articles, is presented from a unified point of view for the first time. It is given with complete proofs, new in many cases. The book thuscan serve as source for special courses in singularity theory and local algebraic and analytic geometry.

This book is based on the lectures given at the Oberwolfach Seminar on Tropical Algebraic Geometry in October 2004. Tropical Geometry ?rst appeared as a subject of its own in 2002, while its roots can be traced back at least to Bergman’s work [1] on logarithmic limit sets. Tropical Geometry is now a rapidly developing area of mathematics. It is int- twined with algebraic and symplectic geometry, geometric combinatorics, in- grablesystems, and statistical physics. Tropical Geometry can be viewed as a sort of algebraic geometry with the underlying algebra based on the so-called tropical numbers. The tropicalnumbers (the term “tropical” comesfrom computer science and commemorates Brazil, in particular a contribution of the Brazilian school to the language recognition problem) are the real numbers enhanced with negative in?nity and equipped with two arithmetic operations called tropical addition and tropical multiplication. The tropical addition is the operation of taking the m- imum. The tropical multiplication is the conventional addition. These operations are commutative, associative and satisfy the distribution law. It turns out that such tropical algebra describes some meaningful geometric objects, namely, the Tropical Varieties. From the topological point of view the tropical varieties are piecewise-linearpolyhedral complexes equipped with a particular geometric str- ture coming from tropical algebra. From the point of view of complex geometry this geometric structure is the worst possible degeneration of complex structure on a manifold.

Singularity theory is a field of intensive study in modern mathematics with fascinating relations to algebraic geometry, complex analysis, commutative algebra, representation theory, theory of Lie groups, topology, dynamical systems, and many more, and with numerous applications in the natural and technical sciences. This book presents the basic singularity theory of analytic spaces, including local deformation theory, and the theory of plane curve singularities. Plane curve singularities are a classical object of study, rich of ideas and applications, which still is in the center of current research and as such provides an ideal introduction to the general theory. Deformation theory is an important technique in many branches of contemporary algebraic geometry and complex analysis. This introductory text provides the general framework of the theory while still remaining concrete. In the first part of the book the authors develop the relevant techniques, including the Weierstraß preparation theorem, the finite coherence theorem etc., and then treat isolated hypersurface singularities, notably the finite determinacy, classification of simple singularities and topological and analytic invariants. In local deformation theory, emphasis is laid on the issues of versality, obstructions, and equisingular deformations. The book moreover contains a new treatment of equisingular deformations of plane curve singularities including a proof for the smoothness of the mu-constant stratum which is based on deformations of the parameterization. Computational aspects of the theory are discussed as well. Three appendices, including basic facts from sheaf theory, commutative algebra, and formal deformation theory, make the reading self-contained. The material, which can be found partly in other books and partly in research articles, is presented from a unified point of view for the first time. It is given with complete proofs, new in many cases. The book thuscan serve as source for special courses in singularity theory and local algebraic and analytic geometry.