The Chebotarev density theorem in short intervals and some questions of Serre (Q5960971)

Let \(f(z)\) be a cusp form of integer weight, which is not a linear combination of forms with complex multiplication. Then it was shown by \textit{J.-P. Serre} [Publ. Math., Inst Hautes Étud. Sci. 54, 123-202 (1981; Zbl 0496.12011)] that there is a constant \(c\) such that every interval \(N< n\leq cN\) contains an integer \(n\) for which the coefficient \(a_f(n)\) does not vanish. Serre asked whether this range might be shortened, and whether the admissible class of functions \(f\) might be extended. The first result of the paper is that \[ \#\{n\in (X,X+X^\theta]: a_f(n)\neq 0\}\ll_{f,\theta} x^\theta \] for any \(\theta> 17/41\). The exponent here results from an application of a sieve estimate due to \textit{J. Wu} [Acta Arith. 65, 97-116 (1993; Zbl 0790.11067)]. The authors go on to consider cusp forms of half-integer weight \(k>1/2\), which are not linear combinations of weight \(3/2\)-theta functions. In this case they establish the existence of an admissible \(\theta= \theta(f)< 1\) such that the above lower bound holds, but with \(X^\theta\) replace by \(X^\theta/\log X\) on the right. To prove this result they first establish a short-interval version of the Chebotarev density theorem, in the form \[ \pi_C (X+Y;L/K)- \pi_C(X;L/K)\sim \frac{\#C} {\#\text{Gal} (L/K)} \frac{Y} {\log X}, \] valid for \(X^\phi< Y\leq X\). Here one may take any exponent \(\phi\in (1-n_L^{-1},1]\), when \(n_L\) is the degree of the field \(L\). Amongst the corollaries given is one relating to the rank \(r(D)\) of quadratic twists \(E_D\) of a given elliptic curve \(E\). It is shown that there is an exponent \(\theta= \theta(E)< 1\) such that \[ \#\{D\in (X,X+X^\theta]: r(D)= 0\}\gg_E X^\theta(\log X)^{-1}. \]