Whittaker coefficients of metaplectic Eisenstein series (Q496175)

Let \(G\) be a split reductive algebraic group over a number field \(F\), and \(\widetilde G\) be an \(n\)-fold metaplectic covering group of \(G(\mathbb A_F)\). This paper studies Whittaker coefficients of metaplectic Eisenstein series on \(\widetilde G\) which are induced from a cover of a maximal parabolic subgroup \(P\). Note that the standard method for reductive group cases dose not work, since the local Whittaker models on covers are not unique, and the global Whittaker coefficients are not Eulerian. In this paper, the authors develop a general method to calculate the Whittaker coefficients, and get sharper results when \(P\) is ``cominuscule'', i.e., the unipotent radical of \(P\) is abelian. More precisely, one considers over the ring \(\mathfrak o_S\) of \(S\)-integers, and the Eisenstein series \[ E_{f,s}(g)=\sum_{\gamma\in P(\mathfrak o_S)\backslash G(\mathfrak o_S)} f_s(\iota(\gamma) g), \qquad (g\in \widetilde G), \] is defined as average over \(\gamma\in P(\mathfrak o_S)\backslash G(\mathfrak o_S)\), here \(f_s\) is a complex valued function on \(\widetilde G\) arising from a genuine automorphic representation \(\pi\) of \(\widetilde M\). The authors give a parametrization of the representatives \(\gamma\) which is well suited for covers. Based on some careful consideration of the double coset decomposition, they obtain the expression \[ \int_{U(\mathfrak o_S)\backslash U(F_S)} E_{f,s}(u)\overline{\psi(u)}\;\mathrm{d}u=\sum_{\begin{smallmatrix} d_j\in\mathfrak o_S\backslash\mathfrak o_S^\times, d_j\neq 0\\ j=1,\cdots, N\end{smallmatrix}} H(d_1,\cdots, d_N) \delta_P^{s+1/2}(\mathfrak D) I_{f_s}(d_1,\cdots, d_N) \] when \(P\) is cominuscule. Here \[ H(d_1,\cdots, d_N)=\sum_{c_j \pmod D_j} \psi(u_\gamma)\prod_{k=1}^{N} \left(\frac{c_k}{d_k}\right)^{q_k} \] is an exponential sum, where the parameter \(c_j\), \(d_i\), \(D_\ell\) and \(q_k\)'s come from the parametrization of \(\gamma\) and the definition of the covering group \(\widetilde G\). Moreover, \(\mathfrak D\in T(F_S)\) is also determined by the parametrization of \(\gamma\). The exponential sum appearing in the Whittaker coefficient is studied further in this paper. It is reduced to the prime power case by a twisted multiplicity theorem in Section 6, and is related to two expressions of ``canonical bases'' in Section 8. The authors also consider the Eisenstein series on a cover of \(\mathrm{GL}_4\) attached to \(P\) with Levi factor \(\mathrm{GL}_2\times \mathrm{GL}_2\) in Section 7 and 10, which gives an concrete example for such exponential sums. Moreover, the evaluation of the exponential sum in this particular case is studied more precisely using the canonical bases in Section 10. Finally, it is worthwhile to mention that some applications, such as studying the distribution of coefficients of certain Dirichlet series, or studying some unipotent periods arising in the character expansions of automorphic forms, are expected from the results established in this paper.