On Zariski’s multiplicity problem at infinity

Abstract

We address a metric version of Zariski’s multiplicity conjecture at infinity that says that two complex algebraic affine sets which are bi-Lipschitz homeomorphic at infinity must have the same degree. More specifically, we prove that the degree is a bi-Lipschitz invariant at infinity when the bi-Lipschitz homeomorphism has Lipschitz constants close to 1. In particular, we have that a family of complex algebraic sets bi-Lipschitz equisingular at infinity has constant degree. Moreover, we prove that if two polynomials are weakly rugose equivalent at infinity, then they have the same degree. In particular, we obtain that if two polynomials are rugose equivalent at infinity or bi-Lipschitz contact equivalent at infinity or bi-Lipschitz right-left equivalent at infinity, then they have the same degree.