Balanced complexes and effective divisors on $\overline{M}_{0,n}$

José Luis González, Elijah Gunther, Olivia Zhang

Published 2017-09-28Version 1

Doran, Jensen and Giansiracusa showed a bijection between homogeneous elements in the Cox ring of $\overline{M}_{0,n}$ not divisible by any exceptional divisor section, and weighted pure-dimensional simplicial complexes satisfying a zero-tension condition. Motivated by the study of the monoid of effective divisors, the pseudoeffective cone and the Cox ring of $\overline{M}_{0,n}$, we point out a simplification of the zero-tension condition and study the space of balanced complexes. We give examples of irreducible elements in the monoid of effective divisors of $\overline{M}_{0,n}$ for large $n$. In the case of $\overline{M}_{0,7}$, we classify all such irreducible elements arising from nonsingular complexes and give an example of how irreducibility can be shown in the singular case.