A prime geodesic theorem for higher rank spaces (Q1774013)

A closed geodesic \(c\) in a compact locally symmetric space gives rise to a point \(a(c)\) in the closure of the negative Weyl chamber of a maximal split torus. It is assumed that the geodesic is regular (so that \(a(c)\) is in the interior of the Weyl chamber). If \(T_1,\ldots,T_r\) are positive, let \(\lambda_c \) be the volume of the unique maximal flat that \(c\) lies in. Suppose \(a(c,j)\) are the coordinates of \(a(c)\) with respect to a canonical coordinate system given by the roots. Define \[ \psi (T_1 ,\ldots, T_r ) = \sum\limits_{c\atop a(c,j)\leq T} \lambda_c . \] The sum is over all regular closed geodesics modulo homotompy. The main result of the paper says that \[ \psi (T_1,\ldots,T_r ) \sim T_1 \cdots T_r \quad\text{as}\;T_j \to \infty . \] The proof requires a Lefschetz formula generalizing work of \textit{A. Juhl} [Cohomological theory of dynamical zeta functions. Birkhäuser, Prog. Math. 194 (2001; Zbl 1099.37017)]. This comes out of the higher rank Selberg trace formula. Also needed is a higher dimensional version of the Wiener-Ikehara Tauberian theorem. There is an appendix with an application to class numbers in totally real number fields.