Density theorems for congruence groups in real rank 1 (Q1312789)

Let \(G\) be a semisimple algebraic group of noncompact type defined over \(\mathbb{Q}\), let \(\Gamma\) be an arithmetic lattice in \(G\), and let \(\Gamma(q)\) denote the principal congruence subgroup of level \(q\) in \(\Gamma\). For \(T > 0\), let \(A(T) = \{g \mid g \in G(\mathbb{R}), \text{Tr} (g'g) < T^2\}\) and \(N(T) = \text{card} (A(T) \cap \Gamma(q))\), where \(g'\) stands for the transpose of the matrix \(g\) (for simplicity, \(G(\mathbb{R})\) is regarded as a subgroup of \(\text{GL}_n (\mathbb{R})\) for some \(n\)). The following two conjectures have been advanced in: \textit{P. Sarnak} [Proc. Int. Congr. Math., Kyoto/Japan 1990, Vol. 1, 459-471 (1991; Zbl 0743.11018); cf. also: \textit{P. Sarnak} and \textit{X. Xue}, Duke Math. J. 64, 207-227 (1991; Zbl 0741.22010)]: Conjecture B. \(N(T) \ll_\varepsilon {T^{\alpha + \varepsilon} \over i(q)} + T^{\alpha/2}\) for \(\varepsilon > 0\), where \(\alpha = \lim_{T\to \infty} {\mu(A(T))\over \log T}\), \(\mu\) being the Haar measure on \(G\), \(i(q) = [\Gamma : \Gamma(q)]\). -- Conjecture C. If \(G\) is of real rank one then \(M(\nu) \ll_\varepsilon i(q)^{1 - \nu/\rho + \varepsilon}\) for \(\varepsilon > 0\), where \(0 < \nu \leq \rho\), \(M(\nu) = \sum_{\nu \leq \kappa \leq \rho} m(\kappa, q)\), \(m(\kappa, q)\) denotes the multiplicity of \(\kappa\) in the set of representations occurring in the right regular representation of \(G\) in \(L^2 (\Gamma(q) \setminus G)\), the nontempered representations of \(G\) being parametrised by the reals in the interval \((0, \rho]\) with \(\rho\) corresponding to the trivial representation. The authors prove the implication \(B \Rightarrow C\). The proof is analytic and makes use of certain new estimates for the eigenfunctions of the Laplace-Beltrami operator on the appropriate Riemannian symmetric space.