Tau functions, Prym-Tyurin classes and loci of degenerate differentials (Q2324850)

The aim of this paper is to study the rational Picard group of the projectivized moduli space \(P\overline{\mathcal{M}}_g^{(n)}\) of holomorphic \(n\)-differentials on complex genus \(g\) stable curves. The authors define \(n-1\) natural classes in this Picard group that they call Prym-Tyurin classes. They express these classes as linear combinations of boundary divisors and the divisor of \(n\)-differentials with a double zero. Two different proofs of this result are given, using two alternative approaches: an analytic approach that involves the Bergman tau function and its vanishing divisor and an algebro-geometric approach that involves cohomological computations on the universal curve. This paper is organized as follows: The first chapter is an introduction to the subject. The chapter 2 deals with the space of admissible \(n\)-differentials. The chapter 3 is devoted to the Bergman tau function and Hodge class on \(P\overline{\mathcal{M}}_g^{(n)}\). In chapter 4 the authors explain an alternative computation of \(\delta_{\operatorname{deg}}\) in \(\mathrm{Pic}(P\overline{\mathcal{M}}_g^{(n)})\). Chapter 5 deals with Prym-Tyurin differentials on \(\widehat{C}\) and holomorphic \(n\)-differentials on on the base Riemann surface \(C\).