Compact moduli of plane curves (Q1881728)

The author regards a plane curve \(C \subset \mathbb P^2\) as a surface-divisor pair and defines \(M_d\) as the moduli space of pairs \((X,D)\), where \(X\) is a degeneration of the plane. The definition and construction of \(M_d\) are carefully explained using the semistable minimal model program. It is shown that, if \(d\) is not divisible by 3, the stack \(M_d\) is smooth and the degenerate surfaces \(X\) can be described explicitly. The proofs are detailed and lots of examples are given.