A computational approach to the discriminant of homogeneous polynomials

Abstract

In this paper, the discriminant of homogeneous polynomials is studied in two particular cases: a single homogeneous polynomial and a collection of n-1 homogeneous polynomials in n variables. In these two cases, the discriminant is defined over a large class of coefficient rings by means of the resultant. Many formal properties and computational rules are provided and the geometric interpretation of the discriminant is investigated over a general coefficient ring, typically a domain.