Separating sets, metric tangent cone and applications for complex algebraic germs

An explanation is given for the initially surprising ubiquity of separating sets in normal complex surface germs. It is shown that they are quite common in higher dimensions too. The relationship between separating sets and the geometry of the metric tangent cone of Bernig and Lytchak is described. Moreover, separating sets are used to show that the inner Lipschitz type need not be constant in a family of normal complex surface germs of constant topology.