On plane sextics with double singular points

We compute the fundamental groups of five maximizing sextics with double singular points only; in four cases, the groups are as expected. The approach used would apply to other sextics as well, given their equations.Comment: A few explanations and references adde

Cartier and Weil Divisors on Varieties with Quotient Singularities

The main goal of this paper is to show that the notions of Weil and Cartier $\mathbb{Q}$-divisors coincide for $V$-manifolds and give a procedure to express a rational Weil divisor as a rational Cartier divisor. The theory is illustrated on weighted projective spaces and weighted blow-ups.Comment: 16 page

On fundamental groups of plane curve complements

In this paper we discuss some properties of fundamental groups and Alexander polynomials of plane curves. We discuss the relationship of the non-triviality of Alexander polynomials and the notion of (nearly) freeness for irreducible plane curves. We reprove and restate in modern terms a somewhat forgotten result of Zariski. Finally, we describe some topological properties of curves with abelian fundamental group

Number of Jordan blocks of the maximal size for local monodromies

We prove formulas for the number of Jordan blocks of the maximal size for local monodromies of one-parameter degenerations of complex algebraic varieties where the bound of the size comes from the monodromy theorem. In case the general fibers are smooth and compact, the proof calculates some part of the weight spectral sequence of the limit mixed Hodge structure of Steenbrink. In the singular case, we can prove a similar formula for the monodromy on the cohomology with compact supports, but not on the usual cohomology. We also show that the number can really depend on the position of singular points in the embedded resolution even in the isolated singularity case, and hence there are no simple combinatorial formulas using the embedded resolution in general.Comment: 23 page

On the connection between fundamental groups and pencils with multiple fibers

We present two results about the relationship between fundamental groups of quasiprojective manifolds and linear systems on a projectivization. We prove the existence of a plane curve with non-abelian fundamental group of the complement which does not admit a mapping onto an orbifold with non-abelian fundamental group. We also find an affine manifold whose irreducible components of its characteristic varieties do not come from the pull-back of the characteristic varieties of an orbifold