Let $f_0$ and $f_1$ be two homogeneous polynomials of degree d in three complex variables $z_1,z_2,z_3$. We show that the Lê–Yomdin surface singularities defined by $g_0:=f_0+z_i^{d+m}$ and $g_1:=f_1+z_i^{d+m}$ have the same abstract topology, the same monodromy zeta-function, the same $\mu ^*$-invariant, but lie in distinct path-connected components of the $\mu ^*$-constant stratum if their projective tangent cones (defined by $f_0$ and $f_1$, respectively) make a Zariski pair of curves in $\mathbb {P}^2$, the singularities of which are Newton non-degenerate. In this case, we say that $V(g_0):=g_0^{-1}(0)$ and $V(g_1):=g_1^{-1}(0)$ make a $\mu ^*$-Zariski pair of surface singularities. Being such a pair is a necessary condition for the germs $V(g_0)$ and $V(g_1)$ to have distinct embedded topologies.

For each central essential hyperplane arrangement $\mathcal{A}$ over an algebraically closed field, let $Z_\mathcal{A}^{\hat\mu}(T)$ denote the Denef–Loeser motivic zeta function of $\mathcal{A}$ . We prove a formula expressing $Z_\mathcal{A}^{\hat\mu}(T)$ in terms of the Milnor fibers of related hyperplane arrangements. This formula shows that, in a precise sense, the degree to which $Z_{\mathcal{A}}^{\hat\mu}(T)$ fails to be a combinatorial invariant is completely controlled by these Milnor fibers. As one application, we use this formula to show that the map taking each complex arrangement $\mathcal{A}$ to the Hodge–Deligne specialization of $Z_{\mathcal{A}}^{\hat\mu}(T)$ is locally constant on the realization space of any loop-free matroid. We also prove a combinatorial formula expressing the motivic Igusa zeta function of $\mathcal{A}$ in terms of the characteristic polynomials of related arrangements.

It is well known that the diffeomorphism type of the Milnor fibration of a (Newton) nondegenerate polynomial function f is uniquely determined by the Newton boundary of f. In the present paper, we generalize this result to certain degenerate functions, namely we show that the diffeomorphism type of the Milnor fibration of a (possibly degenerate) polynomial function of the form $f=f^1\cdots f^{k_0}$ is uniquely determined by the Newton boundaries of $f^1,\ldots , f^{k_0}$ if $\{f^{k_1}=\cdots =f^{k_m}=0\}$ is a nondegenerate complete intersection variety for any $k_1,\ldots ,k_m\in \{1,\ldots , k_0\}$ .

We study non-abelian versions of the Mellin transformations, originally introduced by Gabber-Loeser on complex affine tori. Our main result is a generalisation to the non-abelian context and with arbitrary coefficients of the t-exactness of Gabber-Loeser’s Mellin transformation. As an intermediate step, we obtain vanishing results for the Sabbah specialisation functors. Our main application is to construct new examples of duality spaces in the sense of Bieri-Eckmann, generalising results of Denham-Suciu.

We define and study twisted Alexander-type invariants of complex hypersurface complements. We investigate torsion properties for the twisted Alexander modules and extend the local-to-global divisibility results of Maxim and of Dimca and Libgober to the twisted setting. In the process, we also study the splitting fields containing the roots of the corresponding twisted Alexander polynomials.

Using a recent result by S. Papadima and A. Suciu, we show that the equivariant Poincaré– Deligne polynomial of the Milnor fiber of a projective line arrangement having only double and triple points is combinatorially determined.

In a group, a nonidentity element is called a generalized torsion element if some product of its conjugates equals the identity. We show that for many classical knots one can ûnd generalized torsion in the fundamental group of its complement, commonly called the knot group. It follows that such a group is not bi-orderable. Examples include all torus knots, the (hyperbolic) knot ${{5}_{2}}$ , and algebraic knots in the sense of Milnor.

We describe a general setting where the monodromy action on the first cohomology group of the Milnor fiber of a hyperplane arrangement is the identity.

The order of the Milnor fiber monodromy operator of a central hyperplane arrangement is shown to be combinatorially determined. In particular, a necessary and sufficient condition for the triviality of this monodromy operator is given.

It is known that the complement of a complex hyperplane arrangement is cohomologically Tate and, if the arrangement is defined over ℚ, has polynomial count. We show that these properties hold for the corresponding Milnor fibers if the monodromy is trivial.

We construct a hyperplane arrangement defined over ℚ, whose Milnor fiber has a nontrivial monodromy operator, is cohomologically Tate, and has no polynomial count. Such examples are shown not to exist in low dimensions.

Let (X, 0) be a germ of an analytic space and f the germ of an analytic function on X. We show that the polar filtration of the local Milnor fiber, defined by a projection on a complex disc, is diffeomorphic to a valuative filtration of the Milnor fiber called Hironaka's filtration, a result which links invariants associated with the singularities of the projection to those associated with a desingularisation.

We verify a generalization of (3.3) from [Lê73] proving that the homotopy type of the Milnor fiber of a reduced hypersurface singularity depends only on the embedded topological type of the singularity. In particular, using [Zariski68, Lipman83, Oh93, Gau88] for irreducible quasi-ordinary germs, it depends only on the normalized distinguished pairs of the singularity. The main result of the paper provides an explicit formula for the Euler-characteristic of the Milnor fiber in the surface case.