Iterated period integrals and multiple Hecke \(L\)-functions (Q361836)

Around 2004, Manin introduced certain iterated path integrals of elliptic cusp forms over the upper half-plane \(\mathbb{H}\), which is inspired by the theory of multiple zeta values and the modular symbols. It generalized the classical Mellin transform of modular forms. Among the intriguing perspectives presented in [Progr. Math. 253, 565--597 (2006; Zbl 1184.11019)], \textit{Y. I. Manin} gave an expression of the iterated integrals in terms of special values of multiple Dirichlet series. The authors of the paper under review focus on the connection alluded above. To be precise, given \(a, z \in \bar{\mathbb{H}}\), the iterated integral in question is \[ I^z_a{s_1, \ldots, s_n \choose f_1, \ldots, f_n} := \int^z_a dz_1 \cdots \int^{z_{n-1}}_a \,dz_n \prod_{i=1}^n f_i(z_i) z_i^{s_i - 1} \] where \(f_i\) are holomorphic functions on \(\mathbb{H}\) satisfying some properties such as Fourier expansions and growth conditions at cusps (eg. the elements of \(S_k(\Gamma)\)), and \(s_1, \ldots, s_n \in \mathbb{C}\). We fix a path from \(a\) to \(z\) which is assumed to be ``vertical'' when approaching a cusp. On the other hand, the multiple Hecke series are defined as \[ \begin{multlined} L(s) = L{s, \alpha_2, \ldots, \alpha_n \choose f_1, f_2, \ldots, f_n} := (-2\pi i)^{-(s + \alpha_2 + \cdots \alpha_n)}\\ \sum_{m_1 > \cdots > m_n > m_{n+1} := 0} \frac{c^{(1)}_{m_1-m_2} \cdots c^{(n)}_{m_n - m_{n+1}}}{m_1^s m_2^{\alpha_2} \cdots m_n^{\alpha_n}}\end{multlined} \] where \(f_1, \ldots f_n\) are as before, with Fourier expansions \(f_i(z) = \sum_{m \geq 1} c^{(i)}_m q^m\) for each \(i\), and \(\alpha_2, \ldots, \alpha_n \in \mathbb{Z}_{\geq 1}\), \(s \in \mathbb{C}\) with \(\mathrm{Re}(s) \gg 0\). The convergence follows from the standard estimates on the Fourier coefficients. In the main result (Theorem 1) of this paper, it is shown that \(L(s)\) can be extended to an entire function on \(\mathbb{C}\). Moreover, \(I^0_{i\infty} {s, \alpha_2, \ldots, \alpha_n \choose f_1, \ldots, f_n}\) can be expressed as an explicit linear combination of the multiple Hecke series multiplied by some \(\Gamma\)-value, and vice versa. To prove this, two families of auxiliary functions \(\tilde{I}^z_a{\alpha_1, \ldots, \alpha_n \choose f_1, \ldots, f_n}\) and \(\tilde{F}^z_a{-, \alpha_2, \ldots, \alpha_n \choose f_1, f_2, \ldots, f_n}\) are introduced in \S 3. As a byproduct, some interesting modular properties and functional equations related to \(\tilde{I}^z_a(\cdots)\) and \(\tilde{F}^z_a(\cdots)\) are recorded in \S 4.2. Note that the analytic continuation of such multiple Dirichlet series is also obtained in [\textit{K. Matsumoto} and \textit{Y. Tanigawa}, J. Théor. Nombres Bordx. 15, No. 1, 267--274 (2003; Zbl 1050.11082)], in which \(\alpha_2, \ldots, \alpha_n\) can be viewed as complex variables and the resulting function is holomorphic on \(\mathbb{C}^n\). The methods are quite different.