Sum formula for \(SL_2\) over a number field and Selberg type estimates for exceptional eigenvalues (Q1270030)

Let \(F\) be a number field with \(d\) real and \(2e\) complex embeddings, and let \({\mathcal O}\) be its ring of integers. Consider the group \(G= SL_2 (\mathbb{R})^d\times SL_2 (\mathbb{C})^e\) and its maximal compact subgroup \(K= SO_2 (\mathbb{R})^d\times SU_2 (\mathbb{C})^e\). Let \(I\subset{\mathcal O}\) be a non-zero ideal and consider the image \(\Gamma\) of \(\Gamma_0(I)\subset SL_2({\mathcal O})\) in \(G\). This is a discrete subgroup of finite covolume. One of the main goals of the work under review is to prove a version of the Kuznetsov sum formula for \(\Gamma\setminus G/K\) and for a rather general family of test functions. (As the authors point out, the Kuznetsov formula already was extended to the case of a product of rank one groups by R. Miatello and N. R. Wallach, but the class of test functions in this work is too restricted for many applications.) As the main application of their version of the Kuznetsov formula, the authors prove Selberg type estimates for the exceptional eigenvalues of the Laplacians on \(\Gamma\setminus G/K\). One important ingredient in the proof of these estimates is the Salié-Weil type estimates for Kloosterman sums over number fields, which were proved by the authors in previous work. Another ingredient is a careful analysis of certain special functions, in particular, of Bessel functions. In the special case \(F=\mathbb{Q}\) the authors' result gives another proof of Selberg's classical lower bound \(\lambda_1\geq \frac{3}{16}\) by using as a main tool the Kuznetsov sum formula in place of the Kloosterman-Selberg zeta function.