International Journal of Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences
Volume 11 (1988), Issue 4, Pages 721-726
doi:10.1155/S0161171288000870
The computation of the index of a Morse function at a critical point
Takis Sakkalis
Department of Mathematical Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces 88003, NM, USA
Abstract
A theoretical approach in computing the index of a Morse function at a critical point on a real non-singular hypersurface V is given. As a consequence the Euler characteristic of V is computed. In the case where the hypersurface is polynomial and compact, a procedure is given that finds a linear function ℓ, whose restriction ℓ|V, is a Morse function on V.