Normality of general elephants on 3-fold terminal flips

Abstract

We prove that the general elephant $E_{X^+}\in |-K_{X^+}|$ is normal where $X--> X^+$ is a 3-fold terminal flip. Hence $E_{X^+}$ has at worst Du Val singularities. As a corollary, there exists no non-Gorenstein singularity of type $cE/2$, $cD/3$, nor $cAx/4$ on the flipped curve $C^+$.