Let (X, cX) be a convex projective surface equipped with a real structure. The space of stable maps carries different real structures induced by cX and any order two element τ of permutation group Sk acting on marked points. Each corresponding real part ℝτ is a real normal projective variety. As the singular locus is of codimension bigger than two, these spaces thus carry a first Stiefel–Whitney class for which we determine a representative in the case k = c1(X)d − 1 where c1(X) is the first Chern class of X. Namely, we give a homological description of these classes in term of the real part of boundary divisors of the space of stable maps.

We define sets with finitely ramified cell structure, which are generalizations of post-critically finite self-similar sets introduced by Kigami and of fractafolds introduced by Strichartz. In general, we do not assume even local self-similarity, and allow countably many cells connected at each junction point. In particular, we consider post-critically infinite fractals. We prove that if Kigami’s resistance form satisfies certain assumptions, then there exists a weak Riemannian metric such that the energy can be expressed as the integral of the norm squared of a weak gradient with respect to an energy measure. Furthermore, we prove that if such a set can be homeomorphically represented in harmonic coordinates, then for smooth functions the weak gradient can be replaced by the usual gradient. We also prove a simple formula for the energy measure Laplacian in harmonic coordinates.

we find a minimal differential graded (dg) operad whose generic representations in ${\mathbb r}^n$ are in one-to-one correspondence with formal germs of those endomorphisms of the tangent bundle to ${\mathbb r}^n$ which satisfy the nijenhuis integrability condition. this operad is of a surprisingly simple origin: it is the cobar construction on the quadratic operad of homologically trivial dg lie algebras. as a by-product we obtain a strong-homotopy generalization of this geometric structure and show its homotopy equivalence to the structure of contractible dg manifolds.