Differential operators and families of automorphic forms on unitary groups of arbitrary signature (Q2636385)

Given a classical modular form over the complex numbers, the operation of differentiation does not produce another modular form in the classical sense. However, if we fix a prime $p$, with a suitable treatment first discovered by Ramanjuan, we can define the so-called $\theta$-operator, which can be viewed in modern terms as sending $p$-adic modular forms of weight $k$ to $p$-adic modular forms of weight $k + 2$. \par The $\theta$-operator was studied extensively by Swinnerton-Dyer, Serre, and Katz in the 1970's, relying heavily on the availability of $q$-expansions to represent modular forms. The resulting theory has been used by Edixhoven, for instance, to understand the optimal weight in the context of the now proven Serre's conjecture on the modularity of continuous odd two dimensional representations of $G_{\mathbb{Q}}$. The connection arises because the Galois-theoretic operation which corresponds to the $\theta$-operator is twisting by the cyclotomic character. \par The goal of this paper is to generalize the $\theta$-operator to the situation of automorphic forms on unitary groups, which lack $q$-expansions. This is accomplished by defining a differential operator conceptually using the Kodaira-Spencer map and Gauss-Manin connection, a method first used in [\textit{N. M. Katz}, Lect. Notes Math. 601, 53--61 (1977; Zbl 0392.10026)] to define the $\theta$-operator for Katz forms on $\Gamma(N)$ for $N$ prime to $p$. \par Initially the case of classical weights is established, then extended by interpolation to $p$-adic weights. By replacing $q$-expansions by Serre-Tate expansions, an explicit description of these differential operators from their action on $t$-expansions is given for automorphic forms on unitary groups of arbitrary signature. This is done through an analysis of Schur functors and Young symmetrizers. Previous results for more specific signatures were achieved by the first author in [\textit{E. E. Eischen}, Ann. Inst. Fourier 62, No. 1, 177--243 (2012; Zbl 1257.11054)]. \par The results in this paper have applications to the construction of $p$-adic families of $L$-functions on unitary groups.