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1. On the weight zero compactly supported cohomology of H_{g,n}

   https://doi.org/10.1017/fms.2024.53  

   Brandt, Madeline; Chan, Melody; Kannan, Siddarth (January 2024, Forum of Mathematics, Sigma)

   Abstract For$$g\ge 2$$and$$n\ge 0$$, let$$\mathcal {H}_{g,n}\subset \mathcal {M}_{g,n}$$denote the complex moduli stack ofn-marked smooth hyperelliptic curves of genusg. A normal crossings compactification of this space is provided by the theory of pointed admissible$$\mathbb {Z}/2\mathbb {Z}$$-covers. We explicitly determine the resulting dual complex, and we use this to define a graph complex which computes the weight zero compactly supported cohomology of$$\mathcal {H}_{g, n}$$. Using this graph complex, we give a sum-over-graphs formula for the$$S_n$$-equivariant weight zero compactly supported Euler characteristic of$$\mathcal {H}_{g, n}$$. This formula allows for the computer-aided calculation, for each$$g\le 7$$, of the generating function$$\mathsf {h}_g$$for these equivariant Euler characteristics for alln. More generally, we determine the dual complex of the boundary in any moduli space of pointed admissibleG-covers of genus zero curves, whenGis abelian, as a symmetric$$\Delta $$-complex. We use these complexes to generalize our formula for$$\mathsf {h}_g$$to moduli spaces ofn-pointed smooth abelian covers of genus zero curves. 

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2. Eliminating Thurston obstructions and controlling dynamics on curves

   https://doi.org/10.1017/etds.2023.114  

   BONK, MARIO; HLUSHCHANKA, MIKHAIL; ISELI, ANNINA (September 2024, Ergodic Theory and Dynamical Systems)

   Abstract Every Thurston map$$f\colon S^2\rightarrow S^2$$on a$$2$$-sphere$$S^2$$induces a pull-back operation on Jordan curves$$\alpha \subset S^2\smallsetminus {P_f}$$, where$${P_f}$$is the postcritical set off. Here the isotopy class$$[f^{-1}(\alpha )]$$(relative to$${P_f}$$) only depends on the isotopy class$$[\alpha ]$$. We study this operation for Thurston maps with four postcritical points. In this case, a Thurston obstruction for the mapfcan be seen as a fixed point of the pull-back operation. We show that if a Thurston mapfwith a hyperbolic orbifold and four postcritical points has a Thurston obstruction, then one can ‘blow up’ suitable arcs in the underlying$$2$$-sphere and construct a new Thurston map$$\widehat f$$for which this obstruction is eliminated. We prove that no other obstruction arises and so$$\widehat f$$is realized by a rational map. In particular, this allows for the combinatorial construction of a large class of rational Thurston maps with four postcritical points. We also study the dynamics of the pull-back operation under iteration. We exhibit a subclass of our rational Thurston maps with four postcritical points for which we can give positive answer to the global curve attractor problem. 

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3. SOME CASES OF OORT’S CONJECTURE ABOUT NEWTON POLYGONS OF CURVES

   https://doi.org/10.1017/nmj.2024.23  

   PRIES, RACHEL (March 2025, Nagoya Mathematical Journal)

   Abstract This paper contains a method to prove the existence of smooth curves in positive characteristic whose Jacobians have unusual Newton polygons. Using this method, I give a new proof that there exist supersingular curves of genus$$4$$in every prime characteristic. More generally, the main result of the paper is that, for every$$g \geq 4$$and primep, every Newton polygon whosep-rank is at least$$g-4$$occurs for a smooth curve of genusgin characteristicp. In addition, this method resolves some cases of Oort’s conjecture about Newton polygons of curves. 

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4. Eisenstein cocycles in motivic cohomology

   https://doi.org/10.1112/S0010437X24007322  

   Sharifi, Romyar; Venkatesh, Akshay (October 2024, Compositio Mathematica)

   Several authors have studied homomorphisms from first homology groups of modular curves to$$K_2(X)$$, with$$X$$either a cyclotomic ring or a modular curve. These maps send Manin symbols in the homology groups to Steinberg symbols of cyclotomic or Siegel units. We give a new construction of these maps and a direct proof of their Hecke equivariance, analogous to the construction of Siegel units using the universal elliptic curve. Our main tool is a$$1$$-cocycle from$$\mathrm {GL}_2(\mathbb {Z})$$to the second$$K$$-group of the function field of a suitable group scheme over$$X$$, from which the maps of interest arise by specialization. 

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5. Conformal blocks for Galois covers of algebraic curves

   https://doi.org/10.1112/S0010437X23007418  

   Hong, Jiuzu; Kumar, Shrawan (October 2023, Compositio Mathematica)

   We study the spaces of twisted conformal blocks attached to a$$\Gamma$$-curve$$\Sigma$$with marked$$\Gamma$$-orbits and an action of$$\Gamma$$on a simple Lie algebra$$\mathfrak {g}$$, where$$\Gamma$$is a finite group. We prove that if$$\Gamma$$stabilizes a Borel subalgebra of$$\mathfrak {g}$$, then the propagation theorem and factorization theorem hold. We endow a flat projective connection on the sheaf of twisted conformal blocks attached to a smooth family of pointed$$\Gamma$$-curves; in particular, it is locally free. We also prove that the sheaf of twisted conformal blocks on the stable compactification of Hurwitz stack is locally free. Let$$\mathscr {G}$$be the parahoric Bruhat–Tits group scheme on the quotient curve$$\Sigma /\Gamma$$obtained via the$$\Gamma$$-invariance of Weil restriction associated to$$\Sigma$$and the simply connected simple algebraic group$$G$$with Lie algebra$$\mathfrak {g}$$. We prove that the space of twisted conformal blocks can be identified with the space of generalized theta functions on the moduli stack of quasi-parabolic$$\mathscr {G}$$-torsors on$$\Sigma /\Gamma$$when the level$$c$$is divisible by$$|\Gamma |$$(establishing a conjecture due to Pappas and Rapoport). 

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