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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. 

abstract: We prove a formula, conjectured by Zagier, for the $$S_n$$-equivariant Euler characteristic of the top weight cohomology of $$\scr{M}_{g,n}$$. 

We contribute to the foundations of tropical geometry with a view toward formulating tropical moduli problems, and with the moduli space of curves as our main example. We propose a moduli functor for the moduli space of curves and show that it is representable by a geometric stack over the category of rational polyhedral cones. In this framework, the natural forgetful morphisms between moduli spaces of curves with marked points function as universal curves. Our approach to tropical geometry permits tropical moduli problems—moduli of curves or otherwise—to be extended to logarithmic schemes. We use this to construct a smooth tropicalization morphism from the moduli space of algebraic curves to the moduli space of tropical curves, and we show that this morphism commutes with all of the tautological morphisms.