Descendent theory for stable pairs on toric 3-folds

We prove the rationality of the descendent partition function for stable pairs on nonsingular toric 3-folds. The method uses a geometric reduction of the 2- and 3-leg descendent vertices to the 1-leg case. As a consequence, we prove the rationality of the relative stable pairs partition functions for all log Calabi-Yau geometries of the form (X,K3) where X is a nonsingular toric 3-fold.Comment: Revised verison, 38 page

Gromov-Witten/Pairs descendent correspondence for toric 3-folds

We construct a fully equivariant correspondence between Gromov-Witten and stable pairs descendent theories for toric 3-folds X. Our method uses geometric constraints on descendents, A_n surfaces, and the topological vertex. The rationality of the stable pairs descendent theory plays a crucial role in the definition of the correspondence. We prove our correspondence has a non-equivariant limit. As a result of the construction, we prove an explicit non-equivariant stationary descendent correspondence for X (conjectured previously by MNOP). Using descendent methods, we establish the relative GW/Pairs correspondence for X/D in several basic new log Calabi-Yau geometries. Among the consequences is a rationality constraint for non-equivariant descendent Gromov-Witten series for P^3.Comment: 83 pages, minor change

Relations in the tautological ring of the moduli space of curves

The virtual geometry of the moduli space of stable quotients is used to obtain Chow relations among the kappa classes on the moduli space of nonsingular genus g curves. In a series of steps, the stable quotient relations are rewritten in successively simpler forms. The final result is the proof of the Faber-Zagier relations (conjectured in 2000).Comment: 54 pages. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1101.223

Tautological relations via r-spin structures

Relations among tautological classes on the moduli space of stable curves are obtained via the study of Witten's r-spin theory for higher r. In order to calculate the quantum product, a new formula relating the r-spin correlators in genus 0 to the representation theory of sl2 is proven. The Givental-Teleman classification of CohFTs is used at two special semisimple points of the associated Frobenius manifold. At the first semisimple point, the R-matrix is exactly solved in terms of hypergeometric series. As a result, an explicit formula for Witten's r-spin class is obtained (along with tautological relations in higher degrees). As an application, the r=4 relations are used to bound the Betti numbers of the tautological ring of the moduli of nonsingular curves. At the second semisimple point, the form of the R-matrix implies a polynomiality property in r of Witten's r-spin class. In the Appendix (with F. Janda), a conjecture relating the r=0 limit of Witten's r-spin class to the class of the moduli space of holomorphic differentials is presented.Comment: Corrected powers of phi in the analysis of the second shift. Appendix on the moduli of holomorphic differentials by F. Janda, R. Pandharipande, A. Pixton, and D.Zvonkine. Final versio