On the kappa ring of \(\overline{\mathcal{M}}_{g, n}\) (Q291750)

Let \(\overline{\mathcal M}_{g,n}\) be the moduli space of stable genus \(g\) curves with \(n\) markings. The \(\kappa\) classes on \(\overline{\mathcal M}_{g,n}\) are defined by powers of the cotangent line bundle classes at the markings. In particular, the kappa ring \(\kappa^*(\overline{\mathcal M}_{g,n})\) is a subring of the tautological ring \(R^*(\overline{\mathcal M}_{g,n})\).NEWLINENEWLINEIn the paper under review, the authors study the kappa ring \(\kappa_e(\overline{\mathcal M}_{g,n})\) in dimension \(e\) (equivalently, in degree \(d = 3g-3+n-e\)). For \(g,e \geq 0\) fixed, as the number \(n\) of the markings grows large, the main result of the paper computes the asymptotic rank of \(\kappa_e(\overline{\mathcal M}_{g,n})\) explicitly. Moreover for \(g\leq 2\), the authors show that an element \(\kappa \in \kappa^*(\overline{\mathcal M}_{g,n})\) is trivial if and only if the integral of \(\kappa\) against all boundary strata is trivial. Finally for \(g=1\), the authors show that the rank of \(\kappa_{n-d}(\overline{\mathcal M}_{1,n})\) is equal to certain partition function. In order to obtain these results, the authors study stable weighted graphs and apply the localization method.