The main goal of this paper is to introduce a set of conjectures on the relations in the tautological rings. In particular, the framework gives an efficient algorithm to calculate all tautological equations using only finite dimensional linear algebra. Other applications are also indicated.

This is the first of a sequence of papers proving the quantum invariance under ordinary flops over an arbitrary smooth base. In this first part, we determine the defect of the cup product under the canonical correspondence and show that it is corrected by the small quantum product attached to the extremal ray. We then perform various reductions to reduce the problem to the local models. In Part II, we develop a quantum Leray--Hirsch theorem and use it to show that the big quantum cohomology ring is invariant under analytic continuations in the Kähler moduli space for ordinary flops of splitting type. In Part III, together with F. Qu, we remove the splitting condition by developing a quantum splitting principle, and hence solve the problem completely.

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.

Given two equivariant vector bundles over an algebraic GKM manifold with the same equivariant Chern classes, we show that the genus zero equivariant Gromov--Witten theory of their projective bundles are naturally isomorphic.

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We give an effective algorithm to compute the Euler characteristics χ(\mbar_{1,n}, \otimes_{i=1}^n L_i^{d_i}). In addition, we give a simple proof of Pandharipande's vanishing theorem H^j (\mbar_{0,n}, \otimes_{i=1}^n L_i^{d_i})=0 for j≥1,di≥0.

A reconstruction theorem for genus 0 gravitational quantum cohomology and quantum K-theory is proved. A new linear equivalence in the Picard group of the moduli space of genus 0 stable maps relating the pull-backs of line bundles from the target via different markings is used for the reconstruction result. Examples of calculations in quantum cohomology and quantum K-theory are given.

Tautological systems developed in [8, 9] are Picard-Fuchs type systems to study period integrals of complete intersections in Fano varieties. We generalize tautological systems to zero loci of global sections of vector bundles. In particular, we obtain similar criterion as in [8, 9] about holonomicity and regularity of the systems. We also prove solution rank formulas and geometric realizations of solutions following the work on hypersurfaces in homogeneous varieties [4].

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The aim of Part II is to explore the technique of invariance of tautological equations in the realm of Gromov--Witten theory. The main result is a proof of Invariance Theorem (Invariance Conjecture~1 in [14]), via the techniques from Gromov--Witten theory. It establishes some general inductive structure of the tautological rings, and provides a new tool to the study of this area.