Descendant invariants and characteristic numbers

On a stack of stable maps, the psi classes are modified by subtracting certain boundary divisors. These modified psi classes are compatible with forgetful morphisms, and are well-suited to enumerative geometry: tangency conditions allow simple expressions in terms of modified psi classes. Topological recursion relations are established among their top products in genus zero, yielding effective recursions for characteristic numbers of rational curves in any projective homogeneous variety. In higher genus, the obtained numbers are only virtual, due to contributions from spurious components of the space of maps. For the projective plane, the necessary corrections are determined in genus 1 and 2 to give the characteristic numbers in these cases.