“…It is also important that polynomial images of semi-algebraic sets are again semi-algebraic (the Seidenberg-Tarski theorem; see [ l l ] , [5]). More generally, a map f : S -+ R", with S C V, is said to be rational nonsingular if there are finitely many Zariski-open sets Z, c V and rational maps f,: Z, + R " such that f , is nonsingular on Z, (f, = P,/Q, with Q, # 0 in Z,), the 2, cover S, and f , = f on 2, n S .…”