We prove that the Kodaira dimension of the moduli space M_{23} of curves of genus 23 is at least 2. We also present some evidence for the hypothesis that the Kodaira dimension of the moduli space is actually equal to 2. Note that for g > 23 the moduli space is of general type, while for g\leq 22, Harris and Morrison conjectured that M_g is uniruled. The result on M_{23} is obtained by investigating the relative position of three explicit multicanonical divisors which are of Brill-Noether type.
We show that the moduli spaces of non-triple cyclic coverings of genus 2 curves and that of even spin curves of genus 2 are birationally isomorphic via the Prym map. We describe the log canonical models of the moduli space of even spin curves of genus 2 and use this to extend the above birational map.
We prove that the coarse moduli space of curves of genus 6 is birational to an arithmetic quotient of a bounded symmetric domain of type IV by giving a period map to the moduli space of some lattice-polarized K3 surfaces.
We prove that the orbifold desingularization of the moduli space of stable maps of genus g = 1 recently constructed by Vakil and Zinger has vanishing rational cohomology groups in odd degree k < 10.
Given a collection of boundary divisors in the moduli space of stable genus-zero n-pointed curves, Giansiracusa proved that their intersection is nonempty if and only if all pairwise intersections are nonempty. We give a complete classification of the pairs (g,n) for which the analogous statement holds in the moduli space of n-pointed curves of genus g.
We compute the rational cohomology of the moduli space of trigonal curves of genus 5. We do this by considering their natural embedding in the first Hirzebruch surface and by using Gorinov-Vassiliev's method.
The global geometry of the moduli spaces of higher spin curves and their birational classification is largely unknown for g >= 2 and r > 2. Using quite related geometric constructions, we almost complete the picture of the known results in genus g <= 4 showing the rationality of the moduli spaces of even and odd 4-spin curves of genus 3, of odd spin curves of genus 4 and of 3-spin curves of genus 4.
We compute cohomology of the moduli space of genus three curves with level two structure and some related spaces. In particular, we determine the cohomology groups of the moduli space of plane quartics with level two structure as representations of the symplectic group on a six dimensional vector space over the field of two elements. We also make the analogous computations for some related spaces such as moduli spaces of genus three curves with a marked points and strata of the moduli space of Abelian differentials of genus three.
We investigate the (small) quantum cohomology ring of the moduli spaces of stable n-pointed curves of genus 0. In particular, we determine an explicit presentation in the case n=5 and we outline a computational approach to the case n=6.
In this article we consider the moduli space of smooth $n$-pointed non-hyperelliptic curves of genus 3. In the pursuit of cohomological information about this space, we make $\mathbb{S}_n$-equivariant counts of its numbers of points defined over finite fields for $n \leq 7$. Combining this with results on the moduli spaces of smooth pointed curves of genus 0, 1 and 2, and the moduli space of smooth hyperelliptic curves of genus 3, we can determine the $\mathbb{S}_n$-equivariant Galois and Hodge structure of the ($\ell$-adic respectively Betti) cohomology of the moduli space of stable curves of…
A formula for the generating function of the Weil-Petersson volumes of moduli spaces of pointed curves that is identical to the genus expansion of the free energy in two dimensional gravity is obtained. The contribution of arbitrary genus is expressed in terms of the Bessel function $J_0$.
We construct a smooth Artin stack parameterizing the stable weighted curves of genus one with twisted fields and prove that it is isomorphic to the blowup stack of the moduli of genus one weighted curves studied by Hu and Li. This leads to a blowup-free construction of Vakil-Zinger's desingularization of the moduli of genus one stable maps to projective spaces. This construction provides the cornerstone of the theory of stacks with twisted fields, which is thoroughly studied in arXiv:2005.03384 and leads to a blowup-free resolution of the stable map moduli of genus two.
We study the moduli space of stable sheaves of Euler characteristic 2, supported on curves of arithmetic genus 2 contained in a smooth quadric surface. We show that this moduli space is rational. We compute its Betti numbers and we give a classification of the stable sheaves involving locally free resolutions.
We show that the coarse moduli space $\cR_5$ of étale double covers of curves of genus~5 over the complex numbers is unirational. We give two slightly different arguments, one purely geometric and the other more computational.
Using the connection discovered by Hassett between the Noether-Lefschetz moduli space of special cubic fourfolds of discriminant 42 and the moduli space F_{22} of polarized K3 surfaces of genus 22, we show that the universal K3 surface over F_{22} is unirational.
We calculate the cycle class of the Hurwitz divisor $D_2$ on the moduli space of stable curves of genus $g=2k$ given by the degree $k+1$ covers of the projective line with simple ramification points, two of which lie in the same fibre. We also study some aspects of the geometry of the natural map of the Hurwitz space of admissible covers of degree $k+1$ and genus $2k$ to the moduli space of stable curves of genus $2k$.
We study here the tautological rings of the moduli spaces of compact Riemann surfaces of genus 1,2,3 and 4 with marked points. The paper presents the complete descriptions of these rings by describing the groups of all degrees.
We compute the stringy E function of the moduli space of rank 2 bundles over a Riemann surface of genus 3. In doing so, we answer a question of Batyrev about the stringy E functions of the GIT quotients of linear representations.
In this paper, we investigate the moduli of surfaces of general type admitting genus 2 fibrations with irregularity q = g_b + 1, where g_b >= 2 is the genus of the base. We prove that smooth fibrations are parametrized by a unique component in the moduli space. The same result applies to nonsmooth fibrations with special values of g_b. In the general case, we give a bound on the dimension of the corresponding connected components.
This article is a survey of P. Katsylo's proof that the moduli space of smooth projective complex curves of genus 3 is rational. We hope to make the argument more comprehensible and transparent by emphasizing the underlying geometry in the proof and its key structural features.
We study the moduli space of stable sheaves of Euler characteristic 1, supported on curves of arithmetic genus 2 contained in a smooth quadric surface. We show that this moduli space is rational. We give a classification of the stable sheaves involving locally free resolutions or extensions. We compute the Betti numbers by studying the variation of the moduli spaces of alpha-semi-stable pairs.
S. Kondō used periods of $K3$ surfaces to prove that the moduli space of genus three curves is birational to an arithmetic quotient of a complex 6-ball. In this paper we study Heegner divisors in the ball quotient, given by arithmetically defined hyperplane sections of the ball. We show that the corresponding loci of genus three curves are given by: hyperelliptic curves, singular plane quartics and plane quartics admitting certain rational "splitting curves".
By the technique of 3-fold Mori theory, we prove that the moduli space whose general point parameterizes a couple of a smooth curve of genus 4 and a halfcanonical divisor with vanishing global section is rational.
We explicitly compute the diverging factor in the large genus asymptotics of the Weil-Petersson volumes of the moduli spaces of $n$-pointed complex algebraic curves. Modulo a universal multiplicative constant we prove the existence of a complete asymptotic expansion of the Weil-Petersson volumes in the inverse powers of the genus with coefficients that are polynomials in $n$. This is done by analyzing various recursions for the more general intersection numbers of tautological classes, whose large genus asymptotic behavior is also extensively studied.
We prove that the moduli space of polarized $K3$ surfaces of genus eleven with $n$ marked points is unirational when $n\leq 6$ and uniruled when $n\leq7$. As a consequence, we settle a long standing but not proved assertion about the unirationality of $\cal{M}_{11,n}$ for $n\leq6$. We also prove that the moduli space of polarized $K3$ surfaces of genus eleven with $9$ marked points has non-negative Kodaira dimension.
We compute the Picard group of the moduli stack of smooth curves of genus $g$ for $3\leq g\leq 5$, using methods of equivariant intersection theory. We base our proof on the computation of some relations in the integral Chow ring of certain moduli stacks of smooth complete intersections. As a byproduct, we compute the cycle classes of some divisors on $\mathcal{M}_g$.
We show that for $α\in (2/3, 7/10)$, the log canonical model $\bar M_4(α)$ of the pair $(\bar M_4, αδ)$ is isomorphic to the moduli space $\bar M_4^{hs}$ of h-semistable curves, and that there is a birational morphism $Ξ: \bar M_4^{hs} \to \bar M_4(2/3)$ that contracts the locus of curves $C_1\cup_p C_2$ consisting of genus two curves meeting in a node $p$ such that $p$ is a Weierstrass point of $C_1$ or $C_2$. To obtain this morphism, we construct a compact moduli space $\bar M_{2,1}^{hs}$ of pointed genus two curves that have nodes, ordinary cusps and tacnodes as singularity, and prove that …
This semi-expository paper discusses the log minimal model program as applied to the moduli space of curves, especially in the case of curves of genus two. Log canonical models for these moduli spaces can often be constructed using the techniques of Geometric Invariant Theory. In genus two, this boils down to the invariant theory of binary sextics, which was developed systematically in the 19th century.
We study the moduli space of stable sheaves of Euler characteristic 1 supported on curves of bidegree (3, 3) contained in a smooth quadric surface. We show that this moduli space is rational. We compute its Betti numbers by studying the variation of the moduli spaces of alpha-semi-stable pairs.
This informal note provides some elementary examples to motivate the local structural results of [1] on the moduli space of genus one stable maps to projective space. The hope is that these examples will be helpful for graduate students to learn this important subject.
This is the second in a pair of papers developing a framework to apply logarithmic methods in the study of singular curves of genus $1$. This volume focuses on logarithmic Gromov--Witten theory and tropical geometry. We construct a logarithmically nonsingular moduli space of genus $1$ curves mapping to any toric variety. The space is a birational modification of the principal component of the Abramovich--Chen--Gross--Siebert space of logarithmic stable maps and produces an enumerative genus $1$ curve counting theory. We describe the non-archimedean analytic skeleton of this moduli space and, a…
We show, for each algebraically closed field, the rationality of the following two moduli spaces: M(3,3) parametrizing pairs (C, η) where C has genus 3 and ηis a 3-torsion divisor class, respectively of M(3,<3>) parametrizing pairs (C, <η>) as above and where <η> is the cyclic subgroup of order 3 in Pic_0(C) generated by η.
Tropical geometry is a relatively recent field in mathematics created as a simplified model for certain problems in algebraic geometry. We introduce the definition of abstract and planar tropical curves as well as their properties, including combinatorial type and degree. We also talk about the moduli space, a geometric object that parameterizes all possible types of abstract or planar tropical curves subject to certain conditions. Our research focuses on the moduli spaces of planar tropical curves of genus one, arbitrary degree d and any number of marked, unbounded edges. We prove that these …
We describe the final log canonical model of the moduli space of stable curves of genus four. We prove that the rational map from $\bar{M}_4$ to this model contracts the Petri and the boundary divisors and flips the hyperelliptic locus. As an application, we find an exact bound on slopes of moving divisors on $\bar{M}_4$.
We compute the intersection Betti numbers of the GIT model of the moduli space of Brill-Noether-Petri general curves of genus 4. This space was shown to be the final non-trivial log canonical model for the moduli space of stable genus four curves, under the Hassett-Keel program. The strategy of the cohomological computation relies on a general method developed by Kirwan to calculate the cohomology of GIT quotients of projective varieties, based on the equivariantly perfect stratification of the unstable points studied by Hesselink and others and a partial resolution of singularities.
For a partition $lambda=\{lambda_1 \geq λ_2 \geq λ_3 \}$ of non-negative integers, we calculate the Euler characteristic of the local system $V_λ$ on the moduli space of genus 3 hyperelliptic curves using a suitable stratification. For some $λ$ of low degree, we make a guess for the motivic Euler characteristic of $V_λ$ using counting of curves over finite fields.
Let X be a complex projective curve which is smooth and irreducible of genus 2. The moduli space M_2 of semistable symplectic vector bundles of rank 4 over X is a variety of dimension 10. After assembling some results on vector bundles of rank 2 and odd degree over X, we construct a generically finite cover of M_2 by a family of 5-dimensional projective spaces, and outline some applications.
In this paper, we study the structure, deformations and the moduli spaces of complex projective surfaces admitting genus two fibrations over elliptic curves. We observe that, a surface admitting a smooth fibration as above is elliptic and we employ results on the moduli of polarized elliptic surfaces, to construct moduli spaces of these smooth fibrations. In the case of nonsmooth fibrations, we relate the moduli spaces to the Hurwitz schemes ${\cal H}(1,X(d),n)$ of morphisms of degree $n$ from elliptic curves to the modular curve $X(d)$, $d\geq 3$. Ultimately, we show that the moduli spaces in…
Building on our previous joint work with A. Schmitt [7] we explain a recursive algorithm to determine the cohomology of moduli spaces of Higgs bundles on any given curve (in the coprime situation). As an application of the method we compute the y-genus of the space of PGL_n-Higgs bundles for any rank n, confirming a conjecture of T. Hausel.
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 study the moduli space of stable sheaves of Euler characteristic 1 supported on curves of arithmetic genus 3 contained in a smooth quadric surface. We show that this moduli space is rational. We compute its Betti numbers by studying the variation of the moduli spaces of alpha-semi-stable pairs. We classify the stable sheaves using locally free resolutions or extensions. We give a global description: the moduli space is obtained from a certain flag Hilbert scheme by performing two flips followed by a blow-down.
After recalling several constructions of the moduli space of curves of genus zero by different people we give our alternative construction of the moduli space. This gives a simple description of the intersection ring of this space. We give a basis for the Chow groups and an explicit duality between the Chow groups in complementary degrees. There is a recursive description of this algebra by S. Keel. Our presentation is simpler in the sense that there are fewer generators and fewer relations and our description is explicit.
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 present a structure theorem for the moduli space R_7 of Prym curves of genus 7 as a projective bundle over the moduli space of 7-nodal rational curves. The existence of this parametrization implies the unirationality of R_7 and that of the moduli space of Nikulin surfaces of genus 7, as well as the rationality of the moduli space of Nikulin surfaces of genus 7 with a distinguished line. Using the results in genus 7, we then establish that R_8 is uniruled.
Moduli spaces of stable maps to a smooth projective variety typically have several components. We express the virtual class of the moduli space of genus one stable maps to a smooth projective variety as a sum of virtual classes of the components. The key ingredient is a generalised functoriality result for virtual classes. We show that the natural maps from 'ghost' components of the genus one moduli space to moduli spaces of genus zero stable maps satisfy the strong push forward property. As a consequence, we give a cycle-level formula which relates standard and reduced genus one Gromov--Witte…
We give a combinatorial description of the rational cohomology of the moduli spaces of pointed genus 1 curves with $n$ marked points and level $N$ structures. More precisely, we explicitly describe the $E_2$ term of the Leray spectral sequence of the forgetful mapping $\EuScript{M}_{1,n}(N)\to\EuScript{M}_{1,1}(N)$ and show that the result is isomorphic to the rational cohomology of $\EuScript{M}_{1,n}(N)$ as a rational mixed Hodge structure equipped with an action of the symmetric group $\mathfrak{S}_n$. The classical moduli space $\EuScript{M}_{1,n}$ is the particular case N=1.
