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Let $𝒰$ be an open neighborhood of the origin in ${ℂ}^{n+1}$ and let $f:(𝒰,\mathbf{0})\to (ℂ,0)$ be complex analytic. Let $z_0$ be a generic linear form on ${ℂ}^{n+1}$. If the relative polar curve ${\Gamma }_{f,z_0}^1$ at the origin is irreducible and the intersection number $({\Gamma }_{f,z_0}^1{·V\left(f\right))}_{\mathbf{0}}$ is prime, then there are severe restrictions on the possible degree $n$ cohomology of the Milnor fiber at the origin. We also obtain some interesting, weaker, results when $({\Gamma }_{f,z_0}^1{·V\left(f\right))}_{\mathbf{0}}$ is not prime.

We study deformations of hypersurfaces with one-dimensional singular loci by two different methods. The first method is by using the Le numbers of a hypersurfaces singularity — this falls under the general heading of a “polar” method. The second method is by studying the number of certain special types of singularities which occur in generic deformations of the original hypersurface. We compare and contrast these two methods, and provide a large number of examples.