On two questions concerning representations distinguished by the Galois involution (Q1689400)

Let \(E/F\) be a quadratic extension of non-Archimedean local fields of characteristic 0. This lovely paper considers two approaches which attempt to describe the irreducible smooth representations of GL(\(n,E\)) that are distinguished by its subgroup GL(\(n,F\)); note that ``distinguished'' is not related to the notion of ``normal'' subgroup in French, but to the existence of a nonzero invariant linear form on the representation in question. One approach, introduced in the present case in the reviewer's [J. Reine Angew. Math. 418, 139--172 (1991; Zbl 0725.11026)], relates this class to representations which arise as base change lifts from a quasi-split unitary group over \(F\). The other deals with a certain symmetry condition. By characterizing the union of images of the base change maps, it is shown that these two approaches are closely related. Using this observation, a statement relating base change and distinction for ladder representations is proven. Further, a wide family of examples in which the symmetry condition does not impose GL(\(n,F\))-distinction is produced, thus exhibiting the limitations of these two approaches.