Transformations involving singular points

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the transformation of a triangle into a circle and the implications of singular points in this context. Two key theorems are referenced: Hironaka's theorem, which states that every analytic space admits a resolution of singularities, and Castelnuovo-Enriques theorem, which asserts that every singular surface has a unique minimal resolution of singularities. The participant suggests that singular points cannot be eliminated through smooth transformations but can only be minimized, raising questions about the applicability of these theorems to practical transformations.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of singular points in topology
  • Familiarity with Hironaka's resolution of singularities
  • Knowledge of Castelnuovo-Enriques theorem
  • Basic concepts of smooth manifolds and topological transformations
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the implications of Hironaka's resolution of singularities in algebraic geometry
  • Explore Castelnuovo-Enriques theorem in detail
  • Investigate the concept of minimal resolution in the context of singular surfaces
  • Examine practical applications of topological transformations in analytic functions
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Mathematicians, particularly those specializing in algebraic geometry and topology, as well as students and researchers interested in the study of singularities and transformations in analytic spaces.

SW VandeCarr
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Can a triangle be smoothly transformed to a circle?
 
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SW VandeCarr said:
Can a triangle be smoothly transformed to a circle?

Either this question is too easy, too dumb or too hard. I'd just like an answer. I've found two two possibly relevant theorems:

Hironaka: Every analytic space Y admits a resolution of singularities: there is a smooth manifold X and a proper map f:X->Y such that f is an isomorphism except over singular points.

Castelnuovo, Enriques: Every singular surface has a unique minimal resolution of singularities.

What exactly is a "minimal resolution"? It suggests to me that the singular points of a triangle cannot be "eliminated" by a smooth transformation, but only arbitrarily "minimized". Is this correct?
 
Last edited:
SW VandeCarr said:
Either this question is too easy, too dumb or too hard. I'd just like an answer. I've found two two possibly relevant theorems:

Hironaka: Every analytic space Y admits a resolution of singularities: there is a smooth manifold X and a proper map f:X->Y such that f is an isomorphism except over singular points.

Castelnuovo, Enriques: Every singular surface has a unique minimal resolution of singularities.

What exactly is a "minimal resolution"? It suggests to me that the singular points of a triangle cannot be "eliminated" by a smooth transformation, but only arbitrarily "minimized". Is this correct?

People are reading, but not answering. I'll give a very simple special case example of how I think a singular point might be eliminated, not "minimally resolved" by means of a topological transformation:

Consider an equalateral triangle circumscribed by a circle such that the three singular points lie on the circle. If the triangle is transformed to coincide with the circle (each line segment is transformed into a 2pi/3 radian arc), the singular points are eliminated.

Can this idea be applied to the more general case of functions that are analytic almost everywhere, except for singular points?
 
Last edited:

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