We describe the closure of the strata of Abelian differentials with prescribed type of zeros and poles, in the projectivized Hodge bundle over the Deligne–Mumford moduli space of stable curves with marked points. We provide an explicit characterization of pointed stable differentials in the boundary of the closure, both a complex analytic proof and a flat geometric proof for smoothing the boundary differentials, and numerous examples. The main new ingredient in our description is a global residue condition arising from a full order on the dual graph of a stable curve.

For projective conifold transitions between Calabi-Yau threefolds X and Y, with X close to Y in the moduli, we show that the combined information provided by the A model (Gromov--Witten theory in all genera) and B model (variation of Hodge structures) on X, linked along the vanishing cycles, determines the corresponding combined information on Y. Similar result holds in the reverse direction when linked with the exceptional curves.

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We define tautological relations for the moduli space of stable maps to a target variety. Using the double ramification cycle formula for target varieties of Janda–Pandharipande–Pixton–Zvonkine, we construct non-trivial tautological relations parallel to Pixton’s double ramification cycle relations for the moduli of curves. Examples and applications are discussed.