Characterizing the geometric monodromy group of an isolated plane curve singularity

In this talk we will explain an intrinsic characterization of the geometric monodromy group of an isolated plane curve singularity as the stabiliser in the mapping class group of the Milnor fiber of the relative isotopy class of a canonical vector field. We will also discuss two interesting consequences of this result: an easy and efficient criterion for detecting whether a simple closed curve in the Milnor fiber is a geometric vanishing cycle or not, and the non-injectivity of the natural representation of the versal unfolding of the singularity. This is a joint work with Nick Salter.