We prove a general criterion for an algebraic stack to admit a good moduli space. This result may be considered as a generalization of the Keel–Mori theorem, which guarantees the existence of a coarse moduli space for a separated Deligne–Mumford stack. We apply this result to prove that the moduli stacks $\overline{{\mathcal{M}}}_{g,n}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC})$ parameterizing $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}$-stable curves introduced in [J. Alper et al., Second flip in the Hassett–Keel program: a local description, Compositio Math. 153 (2017), 1547–1583] admit good moduli spaces.

This is the first of three papers in which we give a moduli interpretation of the second flip in the log minimal model program for $\overline{M}_{g}$, replacing the locus of curves with a genus $2$ Weierstrass tail by a locus of curves with a ramphoid cusp. In this paper, for $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}\in (2/3-\unicode[STIX]{x1D716},2/3+\unicode[STIX]{x1D716})$, we introduce new $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}$-stability conditions for curves and prove that they are deformation open. This yields algebraic stacks $\overline{{\mathcal{M}}}_{g}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC})$ related by open immersions $\overline{{\mathcal{M}}}_{g}(2/3+\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}){\hookrightarrow}\overline{{\mathcal{M}}}_{g}(2/3){\hookleftarrow}\overline{{\mathcal{M}}}_{g}(2/3-\unicode[STIX]{x1D716})$. We prove that around a curve $C$ corresponding to a closed point in $\overline{{\mathcal{M}}}_{g}(2/3)$, these open immersions are locally modeled by variation of geometric invariant theory for the action of $\text{Aut}(C)$ on the first-order deformation space of $C$.

Abstract. We describe the GIT quotient of the linear system of (3, 3) curves on P 1 × P 1 as the final non-trivial log canonical model of M 4, isomorphic to M 4(α) for 8/17 < α ≤ 29/60. We describe singular curves parameterized by M 4(29/60), and show that the rational map M 4 M 4(29/60) contracts the Petri divisor, in addition to the boundary divisors ∆1 and ∆2. This answers a question of Farkas.

We prove that a generic canonically or bicanonically embedded smooth curve has semistable m-th Hilbert points for all m. We also prove that a generic bicanonically embedded smooth curve has stable m-th Hilbert points for all m \geq 3. In the canonical case, this is accomplished by proving finite Hilbert semistability of special singular curves with G_m-action, namely the canonically embedded balanced ribbon and the canonically embedded balanced double A_{2k+1}-curve. In the bicanonical case, we prove finite Hilbert stability of special hyperelliptic curves, namely Wiman curves. Finally, we give examples of canonically embedded smooth curves whose m-th Hilbert points are non-semistable for low values of m, but become semistable past a definite threshold. (This paper subsumes the previous submission and arXiv:1110.5960).Comment: To appear in Inventiones Mathematicae, 2012. The final publication is available at http://www.springerlink.co

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