Heegaard Floer homology and rational cuspidal curves

Abstract

We apply the methods of Heegaard Floer homology to identify topological properties of complex curves in the complex projective plane. As one application, we resolve an open conjecture that constrains the Alexander polynomial of the link of the singular point of the curve in the case that there is exactly one singular point, having connected link, and the curve is of genus 0. Generalizations apply in the case of multiple singular points.