The L\^e numbers of the square of a function and their applications

L\^e numbers were introduced by Massey with the purpose of numerically controlling the topological properties of families of non-isolated hypersurface singularities and describing the topology associated with a function with non-isolated singularities. They are a generalization of the Milnor number for isolated hypersurface singularities. In this note the authors investigate the composite of an arbitrary square-free f and $z^2$. They get a formula for the L\^e numbers of the composite, and consider two applications of these numbers. The first application is concerned with the extent to which the L\^e numbers are invariant in a family of functions which satisfy some equisingularity condition, the second is a quick proof of a new formula for the Euler obstruction of a hypersurface singularity. Several examples are computed using this formula including any X defined by a function which only has transverse D(q,p) singularities off the origin.Comment: 14 page

Non-isolated Hypersurface Singularities and L\^e Cycles

In this series of lectures, I will discuss results for complex hypersurfaces with non-isolated singularities. In Lecture 1, I will review basic definitions and results on complex hypersurfaces, and then present classical material on the Milnor fiber and fibration. In Lecture 2, I will present basic results from Morse theory, and use them to prove some results about complex hypersurfaces, including a proof of L\^e's attaching result for Milnor fibers of non-isolated hypersurface singularities. This will include defining the relative polar curve. Lecture 3 will begin with a discussion of intersection cycles for proper intersections inside a complex manifold, and then move on to definitions and basic results on L\^e cycles and L\^e numbers of non-isolated hypersurface singularities. Lecture 4 will explain the topological importance of L\^e cycles and numbers, and then I will explain, informally, the relationship between the L\^e cycles and the complex of sheaves of vanishing cycles.Comment: Notes from a series of lectures from the S\~ao Carlos singularities meeting of 2014. Revision made to Exercise 3.1 (a

Computation of Milnor numbers and critical values at infinity

We describe how to compute topological objects associated to a polynomial map of several complex variables with isolated singularities. These objects are: the affine critical values, the affine Milnor numbers for all irregular fibers, the critical values at infinity, and the Milnor numbers at infinity for all irregular fibers. Then for a family of polynomials we detect parameters where the topology of the polynomials can change. Implementation and examples are given with the computer algebra system Singular.Comment: 9 pages.To download the libraries for Singular see http://www-gat.univ-lille1.fr/~bodin