Birational contractions of \(\overline{\mathrm{M}}_{0,n}\) and combinatorics of extremal assignments (Q1704095)

In [Invent. Math. 192, No. 2, 459--503 (2013; Zbl 1277.14023)] \textit{D. I. Smyth} defined the so-called extremal assignments to classify modular compactifications of the moduli space of genus \(g\) curves with \(n\) marked points. In this paper the authors explore combinatorial structures of extremal assignments for the case of genus zero, with a connection to the birational geometry of the moduli space of stable pointed rational curves. They also study several special types of extremal assignments, such as smooth, toric, and invariant under the symmetric group action permuting the marked points. An algorithm for finding the smallest extremal assignments is described and implemented as a Sage program.