Simultaneous semi-stable reduction for curves with ADE singularities

Abstract

A key tool in the study of algebraic surfaces and their moduli is Brieskorn's simultaneous resolution for families of algebraic surfaces with simple (du Val or ADE) singularities. In this paper we show that a similar statement holds for families of curves with at worst simple (ADE) singularities. For a family $\mathcal{X}\to B$ of ADE curves, we give an explicit and natural resolution of the rational map $B\to {\bar{M}}_g$. Moreover, we discuss a lifting of this map to the moduli stack ${\bar{\mathcal{M}}}_g$, i.e. a simultaneous semi-stable reduction for the family $\mathcal{X}/B$. In particular, we note that in contrast to what might be expected from the case of surfaces, the natural Weyl cover of $B$ is not a sufficient base change for a lifting of the map $B\to {\bar{M}}_g$ to ${\bar{\mathcal{M}}}_g$.

to appear in Trans. Amer. Math. Soc