A conjectural formula for the double ramification cycle -- Aaron Pixton, October 17, 2014

Double ramification cycles parametrize curves that admit maps to the projective line with specified ramification profiles over zero and infinity. These cycles can be extended to the moduli space of stable curves by using the virtual class in relative Gromov-Witten theory. I will describe a conjectural formula for these extensions in terms of tautological classes. The formula is partially motivated by an analogy with a recently proven formula for Witten's r-spin class.