We develop two methods for expressing the global index of the gradient of a 2 variable polynomial function $f$: in terms of the atypical fibres of $f$, and in terms of the clusters of Milnor arcs at infinity. These allow us to derive upper bounds for the global index, in particular refining the one that was found by Durfee in terms of the degree of $f$.

We develop a Thom–Mather theory of frontals analogous to Ishikawa's theory of deformations of Legendrian singularities but at the frontal level, avoiding the use of the contact setting. In particular, we define concepts like frontal stability, versality of frontal unfoldings or frontal codimension. We prove several characterizations of stability, including a frontal Mather–Gaffney criterion, and of versality. We then define the method of reduction with which we show how to construct frontal versal unfoldings of plane curves and show how to construct stable unfoldings of corank 1 frontals with isolated instability which are not necessarily versal. We prove a frontal version of Mond's conjecture in dimension 1. Finally, we classify stable frontal multigerms and give a complete classification of corank 1 stable frontals from $\mathbb {C}^3$ to $\mathbb {C}^4$.

We consider the possible disentanglements of holomorphic map germs f: (ℂn, 0) → (ℂN, 0), 0 < n < N, with nonisolated locus of instability Inst (f). The aim is to achieve lower bounds for their (homological) connectivity in terms of dim Inst (f). Our methods apply in the case of corank 1.

As an application of the theory of graph-like Legendrian unfoldings, relations of the hidden structures of caustics, and wave front propagations are revealed.

In this paper we classify families of square matrices up to the following natural equivalence. Thinking of these families as germs of smooth mappings from a manifold to the space of square matrices, we allow arbitrary smooth changes of co-ordinates in the source and pre- and post- multiply our family of matrices by (generally distinct) families of invertible matrices, all dependent on the same variables. We obtain a list of all the corresponding simple mappings (that is, those that do not involve adjacent moduli). This is a non-linear generalisation of the classical notion of linear systems of matrices. We also make a start on an understanding of the associated geometry.