Newton polygons and families of polynomials

Arnaud Bodin

Published 2003-05-27, updated 2004-01-26Version 3

We consider a continuous family $(f_s)$, $s\in[0,1]$ of complex polynomials in two variables with isolated singularities, that are Newton non-degenerate. We suppose that the Euler characteristic of a generic fiber is constant (or equivalently the sum of the affine Milnor number and the Milnor number at infinity $\mu(s)+\lambda(s)$ is constant). We firstly prove that the set of critical values at infinity depends continuously on $s$, and secondly that the degree of the $f_s$ is constant (up to an algebraic automorphism of $\Cc^2$).