The continuous spectrum of the relative trace formula for \(GL(3)\) over a quadratic extension (Q1804786)

Let \(E/F\) be a quadratic extension of number fields and let \(\sigma\) denote the non-trivial Galois automorphism. This also acts on \(\text{GL} (n,E)\) and we let \(g^*= \sigma({}^ t g)\); we let \(S\) be the set of elements invariants under \(g\mapsto g^*\). For ``good'' functions \(\Phi\) on \(\text{GL} (n,E_ \mathbb{A})\) we consider the function \(K_ \Phi (g)= \sum_{s\in S} \Phi(g^* sg)\); this arises as the integral of a Selberg-type kernel in the author's work on a relative trace formula comparing automorphic forms on a quasi-split unitary group \(U\) defined with respect to \(E/F\) and on \(\text{GL} (n,F_ \mathbb{A})\). In view of the techniques of the trace formula this function can be resolved `spectrally' and the purpose of this paper is to show that if we denote the cuspidal contribution by \(K_ \Phi^{\text{cusp}} (g)\) then \[ \int_{N_ 0 (F)\smallsetminus N_ 0 (F_ \mathbb{A})} \bigl( K_ \Phi (n)- K_ \Phi^{\text{cusp}} (n)\bigr) \theta(n) dn, \] where \(\theta\) is a nondegenerate character of the maximal unipotent subgroup \(N_ 0\) of \(\text{GL} (n)\), can be given as an absolutely convergent sum of non- cuspidal contributions. This is proved in the case \(n=3\) by a delicate application of Arthur's truncation method. Note that the expression above is an analogue of the expressions considered by Bruggeman and Kuznetsov. The author also sets this work in a broader framework and discusses the present state of attempts to characterize the image of the quadratic base change correspondence.