Let $A$ be the ring of formal power series in $n$ variables over a field $K$ of characteristic zero. Two power series $f$ and $g$ in $A$ are said to be equivalent if there exists a $K$-automorphism of $A$ transforming $f$ into $g$. In my talk I will review criteria for a power series to be equivalent to a power series which is a polynomial in at least some of the variables. For example, each power series in $A$ is equivalent to a polynomial in two variables whose coefficients are power series in $n - 2$ variables. In particular, each power series in two variables over $K$ is equivalent to a polynomial with coefficients in $K$. Similar results are valid for convergent power series, assuming that the field $K$ is endowed with an absolute value and is complete. In the special case of convergent power series over the field of real numbers some weaker notions of equivalence will be also considered. I will report on works of several mathematicians giving simple proofs. Some open problems will be included.

singularities - power series[-]

The space of formal arcs of an algebraic variety carries part of the information encoded in a resolution of singularities. This series of lectures addresses this fact from two perspectives. In the first two lectures, we focus on the topology of the space of arcs, proving Kolchin's irreducibility theorem and discussing the Nash problem on families of arcs through the singularities of the variety; recent results on this problem are proved in the second lecture. The last two lectures are devoted to some applications of arc spaces toward a conjecture on minimal log discrepancies known as inversion of adjunction. Minimal log discrepancies are invariants of singularities appearing in the minimal model program, a quick overview of which is given in the third lecture.[-]

The space of formal arcs of an algebraic variety carries part of the information encoded in a resolution of singularities. This series of lectures addresses this fact from two perspectives. In the first two lectures, we focus on the topology of the space of arcs, proving Kolchin's irreducibility theorem and discussing the Nash problem on families of arcs through the singularities of the variety; recent results on this problem are proved in the second lecture. The last two lectures are devoted to some applications of arc spaces toward a conjecture on minimal log discrepancies known as inversion of adjunction. Minimal log discrepancies are invariants of singularities appearing in the minimal model program, a quick overview of which is given in the third lecture.[-]

The space of formal arcs of an algebraic variety carries part of the information encoded in a resolution of singularities. This series of lectures addresses this fact from two perspectives. In the first two lectures, we focus on the topology of the space of arcs, proving Kolchin's irreducibility theorem and discussing the Nash problem on families of arcs through the singularities of the variety; recent results on this problem are proved in the second lecture. The last two lectures are devoted to some applications of arc spaces toward a conjecture on minimal log discrepancies known as inversion of adjunction. Minimal log discrepancies are invariants of singularities appearing in the minimal model program, a quick overview of which is given in the third lecture.[-]

The space of formal arcs of an algebraic variety carries part of the information encoded in a resolution of singularities. This series of lectures addresses this fact from two perspectives. In the first two lectures, we focus on the topology of the space of arcs, proving Kolchin's irreducibility theorem and discussing the Nash problem on families of arcs through the singularities of the variety; recent results on this problem are proved in the second lecture. The last two lectures are devoted to some applications of arc spaces toward a conjecture on minimal log discrepancies known as inversion of adjunction. Minimal log discrepancies are invariants of singularities appearing in the minimal model program, a quick overview of which is given in the third lecture.[-]

Let $(V,p)$ be a complex isolated complete intersection singularity germ (an ICIS). It is well-known that its Milnor number $\mu$ can be expressed as the difference:
$$\mu = (-1)^n ({\rm Ind}_{GSV}(v;V) - {\rm Ind}_{rad}(v;V)) \;,$$
where $v$ is a continuous vector field on $V$ with an isolated singularity at $p$, the first of these indices is the GSV index and the latter is the Schwartz (or radial) index. This is independent of the choice of $v$.
In this talk we will review how this formula extends to compact varieties with non-isolated singularities. This depends on two different ways of extending the notion of Chern classes to singular varieties. On elf these are the Fulton-Johnson classes, whose 0-degree term coincides with the total GSV-Index, while the others are the Schwartz-McPherson classes, whose 0-degree term is the total radial index, and it coincides with the Euler characteristic. This yields to the well known notion of Milnor classes, which extend the Milnor number. We will discuss some geometric facts about the Milnor classes.[-]

In 2007, Fan, Jarvis, and Ruan constructed an analogue of the Gromov-Witten (GW) theory of hypersurfaces in weighted projective spaces. The new theory is attached to quasi-homogeneous polynomial singularities and is usually called Fan-Jarvis-Ruan-Witten theory (FJRW). It is part of the general picture of Witten, where GW and FJRW theories arise as two distinct GIT quotients of the same model. I will first explain this idea under the light of mirror symmetry. Then I will present FJRW theory and the geometric problem it illustrates. In particular, I will highlight a geometric property called concavity. For now, it is a necessary condition for explicit results on GW theory of hypersurfaces. But on the FJRW side, the situation has recently changed and I will describe my method based on Koszul cohomology to overcome this difficulty. As a consequence, I obtain a mirror symmetry theorem without concavity.[-]

The SYZ fibration is a conjectural geometric explanation for the phenomenon of mirror symmetry for maximal degenerations of complex Calabi-Yau varieties. I will explain Kontsevich and Soibelman's construction of the SYZ fibration in the world of non-archimedean geometry, and its relations with the Minimal Model Program and Igusa's p-adic zeta functions. No prior knowledge of non-archimedean geometry is assumed. These lectures are based on joint work with Mircea Mustata and Chenyang Xu.[-]

The SYZ fibration is a conjectural geometric explanation for the phenomenon of mirror symmetry for maximal degenerations of complex Calabi-Yau varieties. I will explain Kontsevich and Soibelman's construction of the SYZ fibration in the world of non-archimedean geometry, and its relations with the Minimal Model Program and Igusa's p-adic zeta functions. No prior knowledge of non-archimedean geometry is assumed. These lectures are based on joint work with Mircea Mustata and Chenyang Xu.[-]