One neat characterization of du Val singularities is the concept of absolutely isolated double point: they can be

resolved by successive blowups, where each blowup is at an isolated double point. In particular, this means that

when we blowup a Du Val singularity, the result is either nonsingular, or the singularities are also of Du Val type.

We work over the complex numbers.

These are related to Dynkin diagrams in the following way. Let X be a Du Val singularity, and let X 0 be its minimal

resolution, so we have a proper birational map X 0 → X and X 0 is nonsingular. The preimage of the origin will be a

tree of projective lines, and any two either intersect transversely in a single point, or are disjoint. Furthermore, any

point of intersection contains only two lines. We draw a graph whose nodes are the projective lines, and connect

two nodes with an edge if the corresponding lines intersect. Then this graph will be a Dynkin diagram of type ADE.

Furthermore, this configuration determines the singularity up to analytic isomorphism, so we can give them names

using Dynkin diagram language. Due to the recursive nature of these resolutions, we should be able to see how these

trees are “built up” from successive blowups.

One fact we’ll use about (analytic) isomorphism types of singularities is the following. Let S be the polynomial ring

in n variables and let R be the ring of power series in n variables. Let f and g be polynomials in S with no constant

term. Let I(f ) be the ideal generated by f and its partial derivatives. Then f and g are isomorphic singularities at

the origin if and only if R/I(f ) is isomorphic to R/I(g). Intuitively, if S is the polynomial ring in n variables, then

S/I(f ) is the coordinate ring for the singular locus of the variety defined by f , and R/I(f ) is the completion at the

origin. This is the Mather-Yau theorem, which is stated as Theorem I.2.26 of the book Introduction to Singularities

and Deformations by G.-M. Greuel, C. Lossen, and E. Shustin.

Blowing up An : This is the affine variety defined by the equation x2 + y 2 + z n+1 = 0. We blow up the origin of X,

and call the birational transform Y . Let’s describe this explicitly. Choose projective coordinates [s : t : u] on P2 .

The blowup C̃3 of C3 is defined by the equations xt = sy, xu = sz, tz = uy, and it comes with a projection p to C3 .

Then Y is the closure of p−1 (X \ {0}) inside of C̃3 .

It is covered by 3 open affine varieties, given by the equations s = 1, t = 1 and u = 1, respectively. If we look at

the case when u = 1, we get x = sz and y = tz. So our original equation becomes z 2 (s2 + t2 + z n−1 ). This has two

irreducible components, one where z 2 = 0, corresponding to p−1 (0), and the other s2 + t2 + z n−1 = 0 which defines

the closure of p−1 (X \ {0}) inside of this open set.

The exceptional divisor E is the intersection of Y with p−1 (0). When n = 1, E is defined by the equation s2 +t2 +u2 =

0, which is isomorphic to P1 . This can be verified on each open affine set.

When n > 1, its intersection with the open set defined by u = 1 is the set of points ((0, 0, 0), [a : ±ia : 1]) where

a is an arbitrary complex number, and i2 = −1. Working in the open set defined by s = 1, we have the equation

1
x2 (1 + t2 + xn−1 un+1 ) = 0. Again we throw out the x2 factor, and the intersection with p−1 (0) is affine line

((0, 0, 0), [1 : ±i : b]) where b is an arbitrary complex number. We will get the same thing if we work in the open

set defined by t = 1. Note that ((0, 0, 0), [a : ±ia : 1]) = ((0, 0, 0), [1 : ±i : b]) when a and b are both nonzero and

b = a−1 . Let’s look at the limit b → ∞. First we rewrite the points as ((0, 0, 0), [b−1 : ±ib−1 : 1]). Then we set

b−1 = 0, so the limit point is ((0, 0, 0), [0 : 0 : 1]) which corresponds to the case a = 0 in the paragraph above. We

conclude that E consists of two projective lines intersecting at the point ((0, 0, 0), [0 : 0 : 1]).

When n > 2, this point of intersection is a singular point of Y , and the singularity is of type An−2 (as can be seen

from the equation s2 + t2 + z n−1 above). Again we can blow this up, and by what we have just said, the exceptional

divisor is either a single P1 or two copies F, F 0 intersecting in a point Q. In the first case, the inverse images of E

and E 0 intersect this copy in different points, and in the second case we will have E intersect F in a point distinct

from Q, and E 0 intersect F 0 in a point distinct from Q. If we continue blowing up singular points until we get

something nonsingular, ultimately, we will get n projective lines L1 , . . . , Ln above the origin such that Li intersects

Li+1 , and all of these points of intersection are distinct.

Blowing up Dn : For this part, n ≥ 4. This is the singularity defined by the equation x2 + y 2 z + z n−1 = 0. The

exceptional divisor E of the blowup Y is a projective line. We use the same notation as the An case. Then the open

set given by s = 1 doesn’t intersect E, while the intersection of Y with the open set defined by t = 1 is given by the

equation s2 + yu + y n−3 un−1 . This singularity is analytically isomorphic to a type A1 singularity because the ideal

generated by this equation and its partial derivatives is the maximal ideal (s, u, y).

Now we examine the intersection of Y with the open set defined by u = 1. The defining equation is s2 + zt2 + z n−3 .

If n = 4, it contains two singular points corresponding to s = 0, t = ±i, z = 0, both of type A1 : for example to

deal with the case t = −i, we translate coordinates by t → t + i to get s2 + t2 z + 2izt. Its partial derivatives are

2s, z(t + i), t(t + 2i). Since we’re working in the power series ring, t + i and t + 2i are units, so the partial derivatives

generate the maximal ideal. Otherwise, if n > 4, it contains 1 singular point s = 0, t = 0, z = 0 of type Dn−2 . When

we blow it up enough times, this singular point will become a tree of projective lines which intersect in the pattern

of Dn−2 . Then the preimage of E will intersect in a single point, but it will also contain another projective line

hanging off it (coming from the A1 singularity in the previous paragraph). This shape is Dn .

Blowing up E6 : This is the variety X defined by the equation x2 + y 3 + z 4 = 0. The exceptional divisor E of

the blowup Y1 is a projective line L1 , which contains a singularity of Y1 of type A5 : using the notation from

above, this is in the open set defined by u = 1, and the defining equation is s2 + t3 z + z 2 . The quotient ring

C[[s, t, z]]/(s2 + t3 z + z 2 , 2s, t3 + 2z, t2 z) is isomorphic to C[t]/(t5 ), which is what one gets in type A5 .

Blowing up that singularity, we get Y2 → Y1 → X, and the inverse image of the origin contains three projective lines

2
L1 , L2 , L3 , all of which intersect at the same point. This is a singularity of type A3 . We blow it up again and get

Y3 → Y2 → Y1 → X. Now the inverse image of the origin is 5 projective lines L1 , L2 , L3 , L4 , L5 which all intersect

at a single point. This point of intersection is still singular. Blow it up one more time to get a nonsingular surface,

and the inverse image of the origin is 6 projective lines which intersect each other like in the E6 Dynkin diagram.

This article does the calculations out in gory detail.

Blowing up E7 : This is defined by the equation x2 + y 3 + yz 3 = 0. The exceptional divisor E of the blowup contains

a singular point of type D6 in the open set defined by u = 1 where the defining equation is s2 + t3 z + tz 2 . The

quotient C[[s, t, z]]/I(s2 + t3 z + tz 2 ), after some manipulations, becomes the ring C[t, z]/(t5 , 2tz + t3 , z 2 − 3/2t4 ).

Replacing z by z 0 = 1/2t2 + z, we have tz 0 = 0 and that z 02 is a scalar multiple of t4 , so we can do a scalar change

of coordinates to get it isomorphic to C[t, z]/(t5 , tz, t4 − z 2 ), which is what we get from D6 .

Blowing up E8 : This is defined by the equation x2 + y 3 + z 5 = 0. The exceptional divisor E of the blowup contains

a singular point in the open set defined by u = 1 of type E7 : the defining equation is s2 + t3 z + z 3 = 0.