We introduce a smooth projective variety $T_{d,n}$ which compactifies the space of configurations of $n$ distinct points on affine $d$-space modulo translation and homothety. The points in the boundary correspond to $n$-pointed stable rooted trees of $d$-dimensional projective spaces, which for $d = 1$, are $(n+1)$-pointed stable rational curves. In particular, $T_{1,n}$ is isomorphic to $\bar{M}_{0,n+1}$, the moduli space of such curves. The variety $T_{d,n}$ shares many properties with $\bar{M}_{0,n}$. For example, as we prove, the boundary is a smooth normal crossings divisor whose components are products of $T_{d,i}$ for $i < n$, it has an inductive construction analogous to but differing from Keel's for $\bar{M}_{0,n}$ which can be used to describe its Chow groups, Chow motive and Poincaré polynomials, generalizing \cite{Keel,Man:GF}. We give a presentation of the Chow rings of $T_{d,n}$, exhibit explicit dual bases for the dimension 1 and codimension 1 cycles. The variety $T_{d,n}$ is embedded in the Fulton-MacPherson spaces $X[n]$ for \textit{any} smooth variety $X$ and we use this connection in a number of ways. For example, to give a family of ample divisors on $T_{d,n}$ and to give an inductive presentation of the Chow groups and the Chow motive of $X[n]$ analogous to Keel's presentation for $\bar{M}_{0,n}$, solving a problem posed by Fulton and MacPherson.
A curve on a projective variety is called movable if it belongs to an algebraic family of curves covering the variety. We consider when the cone of movable curves can be characterized without existence statements of covering families by studying the complete intersection cone on a family of blow-ups of complex projective space, including the moduli space of stable six-pointed rational curves, $\bar{M}_{0,6}$, and the permutohedral or Losev-Manin moduli space of four-pointed rational curves. Our main result is that the movable and complete intersection cones coincide for the toric members of th…
The Losev-Manin moduli space parametrizes pointed chains of projective lines. In this paper we study a possible generalization to families of pointed degenerate toric varieties. Geometric properties of these families, such as flatness and reducedness of the fibers, are explored via a combinatorial characterization. We show that such families are described by a specific type of polytope fibration which generalizes the twisted Cayley sums, originally introduced to characterize elementary extremal contractions of fiber type associated to projective $\mathbb{Q}$-factorial toric varieties with posi…
We prove that, assuming the F-conjecture, the log canonical model of the pair $(\bar{M}_{0,n}, \sum a_i ψ_i)$ is the Hassett's moduli space of weighted pointed stable rational curves without any modification of weight coefficients. For the boundary weight cases, we prove that the birational model is the GIT quotient of the product of the projective lines. This is a generalization of Simpson's theorem for symmetric weight cases.
The aim of this paper is to study all the natural first steps of the minimal model program for the moduli space of stable pointed curves. We prove that they admit a modular interpretation and we study their geometric properties. As a particular case, we recover the first few Hassett-Keel log canonical models. As a by-product, we produce many birational morphisms from the moduli space of stable pointed curves to alternative modular projective compactifications of the moduli space of pointed curves.
A weighted pointed curve consists of a nodal curve and a sequence of marked smooth points, each assigned a number between zero and one. A subset of the marked points may coincide if the sum of the corresponding weights is no greater than one. We construct moduli spaces for these objects using methods of the log minimal model program, and describe the induced birational morphisms between moduli spaces as the weights are varied. In the genus zero case, we explain the connection to Geometric Invariant Theory quotients of points in the projective line, and to compactifications of moduli spaces stu…
We prove that the moduli spaces of n-pointed m-stable curves introduced in our previous paper have projective coarse moduli. We use the resulting spaces to run an analogue of the Hassett-Keel log minimal model program for the moduli space of n-pointed stable curves of genus one.
We show that $\mathcal{M}_{g,n}$, the moduli space of smooth curves of genus $g$ together with $n$ marked points, is unirational for $g=12$ and $2 \leq n\leq 4$ and for $g=13$ and $1 \leq n \leq 3$, by constructing suitable dominant families of projective curves in $\mathbb{P}^1 \times \mathbb{P}^2$ and $\mathbb{P}^3$ respectively. We also exhibit several new unirationality results for moduli spaces of smooth curves of genus $g$ together with $n$ unordered points, establishing their unirationality for $g=11, n=7$ and $g=12, n =5,6$.
We construct a new compactification of the moduli space of maps from pointed nonsingular projective stable curves to a nonsingular projective variety with prescribed ramification indices at the points. It is shown to be a proper Deligne-Mumford stack equipped with a natural virtual fundamental class.
Basepoint free cycles on the moduli space $\overline{M}_{0,n}$ of stable n-pointed rational curves, defined using Gromov-Witten invariants of smooth projective homogeneous spaces X are studied. Intersection formulas to find classes are given, with explicit examples for X a projective space, and X a smooth projective quadric hypersurface. When X is projective space, divisors are shown equivalent to conformal blocks divisors for type A at level one, giving maps from $\overline{M}_{0,n}$ to birational models constructed as GIT quotients, parametrizing configurations of weighted points supported o…
For any smooth connected linear algebraic group G over an algebraically closed field k, we describe the Picard group of the universal moduli stack of principal G-bundles over pointed smooth k-projective curves.
We introduce the moduli space $R \bar{M}_{2k,l}$ of pointed real curves of genus zero and give its natural stratification. The strata of $R \bar{M}_{2k,l}$ correspond to real curves of genus zero with different degeneration types and are encoded by their dual trees with certain decorations. By using this stratification, we calculate the first Stiefel-Whitney class of $R \bar{M}_{2k,l}$ and construct the orientation double cover $R \widetilde{M}_{2k,l}$$ of $R \bar{M}_{2k,l}$.
We prove uniruledness of some moduli spaces $\bar{M}_{g,n}$ of stable curves of genus $g$ with $n$ marked points using linear systems on nonsingular projective surfaces containing the general curve of genus $g$. Precisely we show that $\bar{M}_{g,n}$ is uniruled for $g=12$ and $n \leq 5$, $g=13$ and $n \leq 3$, $g=15$ and $n \leq 2$. We then prove that the pointed hyperelliptic locus $H_{g,n}$ is uniruled for $g \geq 2$ and $n \leq 4g+4$. In the last part we show that a nonsingular complete intersection surface does not carry a linear system containing the general curve of genus $g \geq 16$ an…
Consider a germ $C$ of reduced curve on a smooth germ $S$ of complex analytic surface. Assume that $C$ contains a smooth branch $L$. Using the Newton-Puiseux series of $C$ relative to any coordinate system $(x,y)$ on $S$ such that $L$ is the $y$-axis, one may define the {\em Eggers-Wall tree} $Θ_L(C)$ of $C$ relative to $L$. Its ends are labeled by the branches of $C$ and it is endowed with three natural functions measuring the characteristic exponents of the previous Newton-Puiseux series, their denominators and contact orders. The main objective of this paper is to embed canonically $Θ_L(C)$…
This is the first in a pair of papers developing a framework for the application of logarithmic structures in the study of singular curves of genus $1$. We construct a smooth and proper moduli space dominating the main component of Kontsevich's space of stable genus $1$ maps to projective space. A variation on this theme furnishes a modular interpretation for Vakil and Zinger's famous desingularization of the Kontsevich space of maps in genus $1$. Our methods also lead to smooth and proper moduli spaces of pointed genus $1$ quasimaps to projective space. Finally, we present an application to t…
We construct a moduli space of stable projective pairs with a nontrivial action of a connected reductive group. These stable reductive pairs are higher-dimensional analogs of stable n-pointed curves and generalize to the non-commutative case a functorial compactification of moduli of abelian varieties, and of toric pairs. We prove that, confirming a prediction of log Minimal Program, stable reductive pairs have semi log canonical singularities. Final version, to appear in Advances of Math.
We study the Cox ring of the moduli space of stable pointed rational curves, \M_{0,n}, via the closely related permutohedral (or Losev-Manin) spaces. Our main result establishes \binom{n}{2} polynomial subrings of the Cox ring, thus giving collections of boundary variables that intersect the ideal of relations trivially. As applications, we give a combinatorial way to partially solve the Riemann-Roch problem for \M_{0,n}, and we show that all relations in degrees of Cox(\M_{0,6}) arising from certain pull-backs from projective spaces are generated by the Plucker relations.
Let $\cM_{0,n}$ the moduli space of $n$-pointed rational curves. The aim of this note is to give a new, geometric construction of $\cM_{0,2n}^{GIT}$, the GIT compacification of $\cM_{0,2n}$, in terms of linear systems on $\PP^{2n-2}$ that contract all the rational normal curves passing by the points of a projective base. These linear systems are a projective analogue of the forgetful maps between $\bar{\cM}_{0,2n+1}$ and $\bar{\cM}_{0,2n}$. The construction is performed via a study of the so-called $\textit{contraction}$ maps from the Knudsen-Mumford compactification $\bar{\cM}_{0,2n}$ to $\cM…
We show that the moduli space of stable n-pointed rational curves can be flatly degenerated to a projective toric variety. We arrive at this by showing that the Chow quotients of the Grassmannians admit toric degenerations, which in turn, follows from a theorem that we prove for toric degenerations of more general Chow quotients. Along the way, we also argued that GIT quotient of a flat family is again flat. In particular, all GIT quotients of flag varieties by maximal tori can be flatly degenerated to projective toric varieties ([9] and [12]).
Losev and Manin introduced fine moduli spaces $\bar{L}_n$ of stable $n$-pointed chains of projective lines. The moduli space $\bar{L}_{n+1}$ is isomorphic to the toric variety $X(A_n)$ associated with the root system $A_n$, which is part of a general construction to associate with a root system $R$ of rank $n$ an $n$-dimensional smooth projective toric variety $X(R)$. In this paper we investigate generalisations of the Losev-Manin moduli spaces for the other families of classical root systems.
In this paper, we prove formulas that represent two-pointed Gromov-Witten invariant <O_{h^a}O_{h^b}>_{0,d} of projective hypersurfaces with d=1,2 in terms of Chow ring of Mbar_{0,2}(P^{N-1},d), the moduli spaces of stable maps from genus 0 stable curves to projective space P^{N-1}. Our formulas are based on representation of the intersection number w(O_{h^a}O_{h^b})_{0,d}, which was introduced by Jinzenji, in terms of Chow ring of Mp_{0,2}(N,d), the moduli space of quasi maps from P^1 to P^{N-1} with two marked points. In order to prove our formulas, we use the results on Chow ring of Mbar_{0,…
In a recent paper [3], the authors introduced a map $\mathcal{F}$ which associates a Deitmar scheme (which is defined over the field with one element, denoted by $\mathbb{F}_1$) with any given graph $Γ$. By base extension, a scheme $\mathcal{X}_k = \mathcal{F}(Γ) \otimes_{\mathbb{F}_1} k$ over any field $k$ arises. In the present paper, we will show that all these mappings are functors, and we will use this fact to study automorphism groups of the schemes $\mathcal{X}_k$. Several automorphism groups are considered: combinatorial, topological, and scheme-theoretic groups, and also groups induce…
A root system $R$ of rank $n$ defines an $n$-dimensional smooth projective toric variety $X(R)$ associated with its fan of Weyl chambers. We give a simple description of the functor of $X(R)$ in terms of the root system $R$ and apply this result in the case of root systems of type $A$ to give a new proof of the fact that the toric variety $X(A_n)$ is the fine moduli space $\bar{L}_{n+1}$ of stable $(n+1)$-pointed chains of projective lines investigated by Losev and Manin.
In this (mostly) survey article, we give a synopsis of a number of results relating to Brill--Noether theory on curves and metric graphs, together with some speculations about the behavior of one-dimensional linear series on a class of metric graphs that admit decompositions as triples of trees rooted on a common vertex set.
The compactified Jacobian of any projective curve $X$ is defined as the Simpson moduli space of torsion free rank one degree $d$ sheaves that are semistable with respect to a fixed polarization $H$ on $X$. In this paper we give explicitly the structure of this compactified Simpson Jacobian in the case where $X$ is a generalized tree-like curve, i.e., a projective, reduced and connected curve such that the intersection points of its irreducible components are disconnecting ordinary double points. We prove that it is isomorphic to the product of the compactified Jacobians of a certain degree $d_…
We investigate projective varieties which are geometric models of binary symmetric phylogenetic 3-valent trees. We prove that these varieties have Gorenstein terminal singularities (with small resolution) and they are Fano varieties of index 4. Moreover any two such varieties associated to trees with the same number of leaves are deformation equivalent, that is, they are in the same connected component of the Hilbert scheme of the projective space. As an application we provide a simple formula for computing their Hilbert-Ehrhard polynomial.
We calculate generating functions for the Poincare polynomials of moduli spaces of pointed curves of genus zero and of Configuration Spaces of Fulton and MacPherson. We also prove that contributions of multiple coverings of curves in a Calabi-Yau threefold calculated via Kontsevich's compactification coincide with the prediction of Candelas et al., and Aspinwall and Morrison.
To every oriented tree, we associate a moduli problem for sheaves over a projective manifold $X$. We define the corresponding notion of semistability and establish the existence of moduli spaces. Applying the results to the tree *->*, we obtain a GIT construction for the moduli space of holomorphic triples of Bradlow and Garcia-Prada.
In the paper [MTT] a conceptuel description of compactifications of moduli spaces of stable vector bundles on surfaces has been given, whose boundaries consist of vector bundles on trees of sufaces. In this article a typical basic case for the projective plane is described explicitly including the constrution of a relevant Kirwan blow up.
The moduli space $\bar{M}_S^σ(R)$ parameterizes the isomorphism classes of $S$-pointed stable real curves of genus zero which are invariant under relabeling by the involution $σ$. This moduli space is stratified according to the degeneration types of $σ$-invariant curves. The degeneration types of $σ$-invariant curves are encoded by their dual trees with additional decorations. We construct a combinatorial graph complex generated by the fundamental classes of strata of $\bar{M}_S^σ(R)$. We show that the homology of $\bar{M}_S^σ(R)$ is isomorphic to the homology of our graph complex. We also gi…
We prove a general formula for the intersection form of two arbitrary monomials in boundary divisors. Furthermore we present a tree basis of the cohomology of $\overline {M}_{0,n}$. With the help of the intersection form we determine the Gram matrix for this basis and give a formula for its inverse. This enables us to calculate the tensor product of the higher order multiplications arising in quantum cohomology and formal Frobenius manifolds. In the context of quantum cohomology this establishes the explicit Künneth formula.
We introduce a method of constructing the virtual cycle of any scheme associated with a tangent-obstruction complex. We apply this method to constructing the virtual moduli cycle of the moduli of stable maps from n-pointed genus g curves to any smooth projective variety. As an application, we give an algebraic definition of GW-invariants for any smooth projective variety.
A new codimension 2 relation among descendent strata in the moduli space of stable, 3-pointed, genus 2 curves is found. The space of pointed admissible double covers is used in the calculation. The resulting differential equations satisfied by the genus 2 gravitational potentials of varieties in Gromov-Witten theory are described. These are analogous to the WDVV-equations in genus 0 and Getzler's equations in genus 1. As an application, genus 2 descendent invariants of the projective plane are determined, including the classical genus 2 Severi degrees.
Let $\bar{M}_{0,n}(G(r,V), d)$ be the coarse moduli space of stable degree $d$ maps from $n$-pointed genus $0$ curves to a Grassmann variety $G(r,V)$. We provide a recursive method for the computation of the Hodge numbers and the Betti numbers of $\bar{M}_{0,n}(G(r,V), d)$ for all $n$ and $d$. Our method is a generalization of Getzler and Pandharipande's work for maps to projective spaces.
We introduce a new ascending filtration, that we call the co-radical filtration in analogy with the basic theory of co-algebras, on the Chow groups of pointed smooth projective varieties. In the case of zero-cycles on projective hyper-Kähler manifolds, we conjecture it agrees with a filtration introduced by Voisin. This is established for moduli spaces of stable objects on K3 surfaces, for generalized Kummer varieties and for the Fano variety of lines on a smooth cubic fourfold. Our overall strategy is to view the birational motive of a smooth projective variety as a co-algebra object with res…
It is well known that formal solutions to the Associativity Equations are the same as cyclic algebras over the homology operad $(H_*(\bar{M}_{0,n+1}))$ of the moduli spaces of $n$--pointed stable curves of genus zero. In this paper we establish a similar relationship between the pencils of formal flat connections (or solutions to the Commutativity Equations) and homology of a new series $\bar{L}_n$ of pointed stable curves of genus zero. Whereas $\bar{M}_{0,n+1}$ parametrizes trees of $\bold{P}^1$'s with pairwise distinct nonsingular marked points, $\bar{L}_n$ parametrizes strings of $\bold{P}…
A point $p$ on a smooth complex projective curve $C$ of genus $g>3$ is subcanonical if the divisor $(2g-2)p$ is canonical. In the moduli space of pointed curves, the subcanonical locus is described by pairs $(C,p)$ as above, and it consists of three irreducible components of dimension $2g-1$. Apart from the hyperelliptic component $\mathcal{G}_g^{hyp}$, the other components $\mathcal{G}_g^{odd}$ and $\mathcal{G}_g^{even}$ depend on the parity of $h^0(C,(g-1)p)$, and their general points satisfy $h^0(C,(g-1)p)=1$ and $2$, respectively. In this paper, we study the subloci of pairs $(C,p)$ such t…
We give explicit equations for the Chow and Hilbert quotients of a projective scheme X by the action of an algebraic torus T in an auxiliary toric variety. As a consequence we provide GIT descriptions of these canonical quotients, and obtain other GIT quotients of X by variation of GIT quotient. We apply these results to find equations for the moduli space \bar{M}_{0,n} of stable genus zero n-pointed curves as a subvariety of a smooth toric variety defined via tropical methods.
For any finite group G we define the moduli space of pointed admissible G-covers and the concept of a G-equivariant cohomological field theory (G-CohFT), which, when G is the trivial group, reduce to the moduli space of stable curves and a cohomological field theory (CohFT), respectively. We prove that by taking the "quotient" by G, a G-CohFT reduces to a CohFT. We also prove that a G-CohFT contains a G-Frobenius algebra, a G-equivariant generalization of a Frobenius algebra, and that the "quotient" by G agrees with the obvious Frobenius algebra structure on the space of G-invariants, after re…
The diagonal in a product of projective spaces is cut out by the ideal of 2x2-minors of a matrix of unknowns. The multigraded Hilbert scheme which classifies its degenerations has a unique Borel-fixed ideal. This Hilbert scheme is generally reducible, and its main component is a compactification of PGL(d)^n/PGL(d). For n=2 we recover the manifold of complete collineations. For projective lines we obtain a space of trees that is irreducible but singular. All ideals in our Hilbert scheme are radical. We also explore connections to affine buildings and Deligne schemes.
The Chow group of zero cycles in the moduli space of stable pointed curves of genus zero is isomorphic to the integer additive group. Let $M$ be monomial in this Chow group. If no two factors of $M$ fulfill a particular quadratic relation, then the monomial can be represented equivalently by a specific tree; otherwise, $M$ is mapped to zero under the stated isomorphism. Starting from this tree representation, we introduce a graphical algorithm for computing the corresponding integer for $M$ under the aforementioned isomorphism. The algorithm is linear with respect to the size of the tree.
