Analysis on the crown domain (Q1001487)

Let \(X=G/K\) be a Riemannian symmetric space of noncompact type. The notion of the complex crown \(\Xi\) of \(X\) was introduced by Akhiezer and Gindikin in 1990. Then it was studied in works of Gindikin, Bernstein, Reznikov, Krötz, Stanton. This notion turns out to be an important tool for using complex methods in harmonic analysis on \(G/K\). For example, spherical functions \(\varphi_\lambda\) on \(G/K\) can be holomorphically extended to the crown \(\Xi\), and the crown is maximal with respect to this property. The definition of the crown is the following. Let \({\mathfrak g}={\mathfrak k}+{\mathfrak p}\) be the canonical decomposition of the Lie algebra \({\mathfrak g}\) of \(G\) (we can consider \({\mathfrak g}\) simple), \({\mathfrak k}= \operatorname{Lie} K\), and \({\mathfrak a}\) a maximal Abelian subspace in \({\mathfrak p}\). Then the crown is a complex submanifold \(\Xi=G\exp (i\pi\Omega/2).x_0\) of \(X_{\mathbb C}\), where \(x_0=\{K\}\) and \(\Omega\) the set of \(Y\in{\mathfrak a}\) such that \(|\alpha(Y)|<1\) for all restricted roots \(\alpha\). Of special interest is the so-called distinguished boundary \(\partial_d\Xi\) of the crown (introduced in a paper of \textit{S. G. Gindikin} and \textit{B. Krötz} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 354, 3299--3327 (2002; Zbl 0999.22019)]. For the definition, one has to replace \(\Omega\) in the definition of \(\Xi\) by \(\partial_e\Omega\), the set of extremal points of the (compact) polyhedron \(\overline \Omega\). In the paper under review a number of interesting and useful results concerning the crown is given. In particular, a unipotent model of the crown is presented: \(\Xi=G\exp (i\Lambda).x_0\), where \(\Lambda\) is some subset in the complexification \(N_{\mathbb C}\) of the unipotent subgroup \(N\) of \(G\) (from the Iwasawa decomposition \(G=NAK\)). The determination of the precise shape of \(\Lambda\) is a difficult problem. In the paper under review, a solution of this problem is given for rank one spaces. The case of the Lobachevsky plane (\(G=\text{SL}(2,\mathbb R)\)) is a crucial example, which is considered very thoroughly. The space \(X=G/K\) can be realized as a \(G\)-orbit of a (normalized) vector \(v_K\) fixed under \(K\) in a spherical representation \((\pi,\mathcal H)\) of \(G\). This orbit can holomorphically be extended to the image of the crown under the map \(z\mapsto \pi(z)v_K\), \(z\in\Xi\). The main problem, to which the paper is devoted, is the study of the behaviour of the norm \(\|\pi(z)v_K\|\), when \(z\in\Xi\) goes to a point of the distinguished boundary \(\partial_d\Xi\) of the crown; namely, let \(\eta \in\Omega_e\), then \(z=t_\varepsilon=\exp(i(1-\varepsilon)\pi/2)\eta.x_0\) goes to \(t=\exp(i\pi/2)\eta.x_0\) when \(\varepsilon\to 0\). The problem can be translated into the growth behaviour of spherical functions \(\varphi_\lambda\) on \(\Xi\). For that, lower and upper bounds are found. The determination of the lower bound is reduced to estimates from below of the values \(\varphi_\lambda(t_\varepsilon^2)\) by means of an integral representation. The determination of the upper bound is based on the analysis of the radial system of eigenfunction equations for \(\varphi_\lambda\) with respect to the commutative algebra of \(G_{\mathbb C}\)-invariant differential operators on \(\Xi\). As an application of the estimates, it is proved that Maass cusp forms have exponential decay.