A dual version of the ribbon graph decomposition of moduli space (Q2464830)

Let \(S\) be a closed surface of genus \(g\) with a nonempty set \(P\subset S\) of distinguished points of cardinality \(n\), and let \(\mathcal{M}_{g,n}\) be the associated moduli space of curves. A ribbon graph (also called a fatgraph) \(G\) associated to \((S,P)\) is a finite graph embedded in \(S- P\) such that the inclusion \(G\hookrightarrow (S- P)\) is a homotopy equivalence. By work of Harer-Mumford-Thurston and of Penner, ribbon graphs provide an orbi-cell complex homeomorphic to \(\mathcal{M}_{g,n}\times \mathbb{R}^n\). This was used by Kontsevich in his proof of the Witten conjecture stating that a certain formal power series whose coefficients are the intersection numbers of certain tautological classes on moduli spaces satisfies the classical KdV hierarchy of equations, and more recently by Mondello and Igusa (in independent works) in their proof of the Kontsevich-Witten conjecture stating that the Witten cycles are Poincaré duals to some tautological classes defined in an algebro-geometric way on the moduli space. In the paper under review, the author gives a construction of a dual version of the ribbon graph decomposition which produces an orbi-cell complex with a natural weak homotopy equivalence to the moduli space \(\mathcal{M}_{g,n}\). The construction uses a certain partial compactification of the moduli spaces \(\mathcal{N}_{g,h,r,s}\) of Riemann surfaces of genus \(g\) with \(h>0\) boundary components, with \(r\) boundary marked points and with \(s\) internal marked points. The partially compactified spaces \(\overline{\mathcal{N}}_{g,h,r,s}\) are orbifolds with corners. These partial compactifications are related to Deligne-Mumford spaces, where the Riemann surfaces are allowed to have nodes on their boundary. The cell complex obtained has the advantage of being compatible with an ``open-string'' type gluing of moduli spaces. The author uses this work in a construction of open-closed topological conformal field theories.