Weyl's law for the cuspidal spectrum of \(\mathrm{SL}_n\). (Q1426619)

If \(M\) is a compact Riemannian manifold of dimension \(d\), the Laplace-Beltrami operator on \(M\) has a discrete spectrum with eigenvalues \((\lambda_i)_{i\geq0}\), whose asymptotic distribution is described by the Weyl formula \[ \#\{ \lambda_i\leq\lambda\}\sim_{\lambda\to\infty} \frac{\text{Vol} M} {(4\pi)^d\Gamma(d/2+1)}\lambda^{d/2}, \] also valid for Laplace-Bochner operators on sections of a vector bundle \(E\) on \(M\), up to an additional factor \(\dim E\). It has been conjectured by \textit{P. Sarnak} [Contemp. Math. 53, 393--407 (1986; Zbl 0618.10018)] that the Weyl law holds for the cuspidal spectrum in case of a homogeneous vector bundle on an arithmetic quotient \(M=\Gamma\backslash X\) of a symmetric spaces \(X=G/K\) associated to a reductive \(\mathbb Q\)-group \(G\). The particular case of arithmetic subgroups \(\Gamma\) of \(G= \text{SL}_2(\mathbb R)\) has been proved by \textit{A. Selberg} [Collected papers. Vol. 1. Springer-Verlag (1989; Zbl 0675.10001)], other partial cases are known: for Hilbert modular groups in \(\text{SL}_2(\mathbb R)^m\) by \textit{I. Efrat} [Mem. Am. Math. Soc. 359 (1987; Zbl 0607.10023)], for congruence subgroups in \(\text{SO}(n,1)\) by \textit{A. Reznikov} [Geom. Funct. Anal. 3, No. 1, 79--105 (1993; Zbl 0785.11034)] and for SL\(_3(\mathbb Z)\) by \textit{S. Miller} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 533, 127--169 (2001; Zbl 0996.11040)]. This note announces the proof of the conjecture for \(G=\text{SL}_n(\mathbb R),n\geq3\), \(\Gamma\) a congruence subgroup of \(\text{SL}_n(\mathbb Z)\) and any geometric bundle \(E\). The proof is based on the careful analysis of Arthur's adélic non-invariant trace formula [Duke Math. J. 45, 915--952 (1978; Zbl 0499.10032)] for some test functions \(\psi_t,t>0\) related to the heat operator \(e^{-t\Delta_E}\). The geometric side of the trace formula is a sum of weighted orbital integrals. It is proved that it is asymptotic as \(t\to0\) to \(c(M,E)t^{-d/2}\) where \(c(M,E)/\Gamma(d/2+1)\) is the constant factor of the Weyl law. The spectral side is expressed as a sum of distributions associated to parabolic subgroups: its analysis relies on earlier works by the author [Geom. Funct. Anal. 12, No. 4, 669--722 (2002; Zbl 1169.11313); 14, No. 1, 58--93 (2004; Zbl 1083.11031)] and ultimately on new estimates on Rankin-Selberg \(L\)-functions. Up to a rest negligible with respect to the geometric side, this spectral side is proved to be equal to \(\sum_\lambda e^{-t\lambda}\) where the summation is on the discrete spectrum, which can be replaced by restricted summation on the cuspidal spectrum. The result follows as usual by the Karamata theorem. The main result implies the existence of infinitely many cusp forms for \(\text{SL}_n(\mathbb Z)\).