We derive a formula for the virtual class of the moduli space of rubber maps to [P^1/G] pushed forward to the moduli space of stable maps to BG. As an application, we show that the Gromov-Witten theory of [P^1/G] relative to 0 and ∞ are determined by known calculations.

We show that the Virasoro conjecture in Gromov–Witten theory holds for the the total space of a toric bundle E → B if and only if it holds for the base B. The main steps are: (i) we establish a localization formula that expresses Gromov–Witten invariants of E, equivariant with respect to the fiberwise torus action, in terms of genus-zero invariants of the toric fiber and all-genus invariants of B; and (ii) we pass to the non- equivariant limit in this formula, using Brown’s mirror theorem for toric bundles.

For a gerbe Y over a smooth proper Deligne-Mumford stack B banded by a finite group G, we prove a structure result on the Gromov-Witten theory of Y, expressing Gromov-Witten invariants of Y in terms of Gromov-Witten invariants of B twisted by various flat U(1)-gerbes on B. This is interpreted as a Leray-Hirsch type of result for Gromov-Witten theory of gerbes.

We prove a Givental-style mirror theorem for toric Deligne--Mumford stacks X. This determines the genus-zero Gromov--Witten invariants of X in terms of an explicit hypergeometric function, called the I-function, that takes values in the Chen--Ruan orbifold cohomology of X.

In this article, we survey recent developments in defining the quasi-local mass in general relativity. We discuss various approaches and the properties and applications of the different definitions. Among the expected properties, we focus on the rigidity property: for a surface in the Minkowski spacetime, one expects that the mass should vanish. We describe the Wang-Yau quasi-local mass whose definition is motivated by this rigidity property and by the Hamilton-Jacobi analysis of the Einstein-Hilbert action. In addition, we survey recent results on the minimizing property the Wang-Yau quasi-local mass.