A higher-dimensional Van den Essen type formula for projective foliations and applications

Abstract

Let $F$ be a one-dimensional holomorphic foliation on $\mathbb{P}^n$ such that $W\subset Sing(F)$, where $W$ is a smooth complete intersection variety. We determine and compute the variation of the Milnor number $ \mu(F, W)$ under blowups, which depends on the vanishing order of the pullback foliation along the exceptional divisor, as well as on numerical and topological invariants of $W$. This represents a higher-dimensional version of Van den Essen's formula for projective foliations of dimension one. As an application, we obtain a lower bound for the Milnor number of the foliation. Also, we use this formula to show that for a foliation on $\mathbb{P}^n$ that is singular along a smooth curve, there exists a finite number of blow-ups with centers on smooth curves such that the induced foliation has multiplicity equal to 1 and that for generic points of the curves in the final stage, the singularities are elementary. Moreover, we obtain a bound on the maximum number of blow-ups needed to resolve the foliation, depending on the numerical and topological invariants of the curve.