Multiplicativity of the double ramification cycle (Q2415885)

Let $a_1, \dots, a_n$ be integers summing to $0$, and $\underline{a}$ the vector $(a_1, \dots, a_n)$. Then, the double ramification cycle $\operatorname{DRC}_{\underline{a}}$ in the moduli space $\mathcal{M}_{g,n}$ of smooth curves is defined by pulling back the unit section of the universal jacobian along the section induced by the divisor $\sum _i a_i [x_i]$ where the $x_i$ are the tautological sections of the universal curve. Over the locus of compact type curves, the double ramification cycles satisfy the multiplicative relation $\operatorname{DRC}_{\underline {a}} \cdot\operatorname{DRC}_{\underline {b}} =\operatorname{DRC}_{\underline {a}} \cdot\operatorname{DRC}_{\underline {a}+\underline{b}}$, for any vectors $\underline {a}$ and $\underline{b}$. Also, on the locus of treelike curves, the above multiplication relation holds. However, it does not extend over $\overline {\mathcal{M}}_{g,n}$, as shown in Section 8 of the present paper. On the contrary, the authors construct extensions $\operatorname{bDRC}_{\underline{a}}$ of the double ramification cycle in the small $b$-Chow ring $\operatorname{bCH}_\mathbb{Q}(\overline {\mathcal{M}}_{g,n})$ which do satisfy the multiplication relation. This is the main result of the paper, namely Theorem 5.3.