The spectrum on \(p\)-forms of a lens space (Q1622906)

Let \(M\) be a \(m\)-dimensional Riemannian compact connected manifold. The spectrum of the Hodge-Laplace operator on \(p\)-forms on \(M\) (\(p\) integer in \([0,m]\)) is an important Riemannian invariant. This paper is focused on Lens spaces \(L(n, \Gamma)=\Gamma\backslash S^{2n-1}\), orbifold space form with positive constant curvature and with a finite cyclic fundamental group \(\Gamma\). Their spectral analysis has been initiated by \textit{A. Ikeda} [Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér. (4) 13, 303--315 (1980; Zbl 0451.58037)] and they have been a fertile ground for spectral results. The \(p\)-isospectrality problem is to find conditions characterizing if two lens spaces \(L(n,\Gamma)\) and \(L(n,\Gamma')\) are isospectral on \(p\)-forms (for \(p\in[0,n-1]\) or a range of such \(p\); forms of other degrees in \([n,2n-1]\) are covered by the action of the Hodge star). The present work considers generating functions \(F_\Gamma^p\) for the eigenvalues multiplicity spectrum \((m_{\Gamma,p}(\lambda_{k,p}))_{k\geq0}\) where \(\lambda_{k,p}=(k+p)(k+2n-2-p)\) is an eigenvalue on \(p\)-forms. Following the strategy by \textit{E. A. Lauret} et al., [Int. Math. Res. Not. 2016, No. 4, 1054--1089 (2016; Zbl 1383.58018)] for the \(0\)-isospectral problem, the author gives a new expression for the generating functions \(F_\Gamma^p\) \[ F_\Gamma^p(z)=\frac1{(1-z^2)^{n-1}}\sum_{\ell=0}^n\vartheta^{(\ell)} _{{\mathcal L}_\Gamma}(z)A_p^{(\ell)}(z)+\frac{(-1)^p}{z^p} \] involving the \(||\hphantom{m}||_1\)-geometry of the lattice \({\mathcal L}_\Gamma\). The functions \(A_p^{(\ell)}\) are explicit Laurent polynomials; the set \({\mathcal L}_\Gamma\) is some congruence lattice of the lattice \(\mathbb{Z}^m\) of \(SO(2n)\)-integral weights and \(\vartheta^{(\ell)}_{{\mathcal L}_\Gamma}\) is the generating function for the sequence \((N_{{\mathcal L}_\Gamma}(k,\ell))_{k\geq0}\) where \(N_{{\mathcal L}_\Gamma}(k,\ell)\) is the number of the points \(\lambda\) in the sublattice \({\mathcal L}_\Gamma\) which have a \(||\hphantom{\lambda}||_1\)-norm equal to \(k\) and \(\ell\) coordinates equal to 0. The computations are based on formulæ for the Hodge-Laplace spectrum in terms of the lattice \({\mathcal L}_\Gamma\) already proved in the cited paper by \textit{E. A. Lauret} et al. As a corollary, the author replaces the isospectrality problem for the Hodge-Laplace on \(p\)-forms by conditions on the generating functions \(\vartheta^{(\ell)}_{{\mathcal L}_\Gamma}\), \(\ell=0,\dots,n\). Finally, using Ehrhart theory for counting integral points in rational polytopes, the author gives rational expressions for the generating functions \(\vartheta^{(\ell)}_{{\mathcal L}_\Gamma}\), with explicit polynomials for the numerator and denominator.