Rational points of universal curves

Abstract

In this paper we prove a version of Grothendieck's section conjecture for the restriction of the universal complete curve over M_{g,n}, g > 4, to the function field k(M_{g,n}) where k is, for example, a number field. In this version, the fundamental group of the closed fiber is replaced by its ell-adic unipotent completion when n > 1.

60 pages. This is a minor revision of the previous version. To appear in JAMS