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3. STELLAR DYNAMICAL SEARCHES FOR CENTRAL DARK OBJECTS

The answer appears to be ``yes''. The majority of detections on which this conclusion is based are stellar-dynamical. However, finding BHs is not equally easy in all galaxies. This results in important selection effects that need to be understood for demographic studies. Therefore we begin with a discussion of techniques. We then give three examples that highlight important aspects of the search. NGC 3115 is a particularly clean detection that illustrates the historical development of the search. M 31 is one of the nearest galaxies and contains a new astrophysical phenomenon connected with BHs. Finally, the strongest case that the central mass is a BH and not a dark cluster of stars or stellar remnants is the one in our own Galaxy.