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improv305
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Proper family deformation retracts onto special fiber

If $\mathbf{D}$ is the complex unit disc with coordinate function $s$ and $X \to \mathbf{D}$ is a proper flat holomorphic family (and it is smooth outside of the fiber $s=0$), will the total family $X$ deformation retract onto the fiber above $s=0$?

I don't think this will be true, but I can't find a counterexample. I thought that if $X$ is a family of elliptic curves degenerating to a singular cubic, then this would fail. But, I think it actually works in this case.

Edit: in the comments, the consensus is that this should be true, but we do not have a proof yet.

improv305
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