Estimates of Kloosterman sums for groups of real rank one (Q1908589)

In [J. Funct. Anal. 93, 171-206 (1990; Zbl 0711.11023)] \textit{R. Miatello} generalized the sum formula due to \textit{N. Kuznetsov} [Mat. Sb., Nov. Ser. 111(153), 334-383 (1980; Zbl 0427.10016)] and also to \textit{R. Bruggeman} [Invent. Math. 45, 1-18 (1978; Zbl 0363.10018)] to the situation of real rank one Lie groups. In the present paper this sum formula is applied to obtain an estimate for sums of generalized Kloosterman sums coming from a discrete cofinite but not cocompact subgroup of a real rank one Lie group. The sum formula comes along with a test function \(h\) and its transform \(\widetilde{h}\). For the proof of the estimate it is then essential to find an (approximate) inversion for this transformation. For this the authors utilize an idea of \textit{A. Good} [Local analysis of Selberg's trace formula, Lect. Notes Math. 1040, Springer (1983; Zbl 0525.10013)]. The estimate obtained is applied to the case of \(\text{SL} (2,\mathbb{R})\) and the modular group as discrete subgroup. This gives a smooth version of Linnik's conjecture. Also estimates with sharp boundary are discussed. For \(\text{SL} (2,\mathbb{R})\) Kuznetsov's result is rediscovered and analogous estimates are obtained in the general context if one imposes some additional growth condition for Kloosterman sums. This additional assumption follows from Weil's estimate for \(\text{SL} (2,\mathbb{R})\). In the case of \(\text{SL} (2,\mathbb{C})\) with Bianchi groups as discrete subgroups the authors verify the additional assumption by proving a Weil-type estimate for individual Kloosterman sums, which to the reviewer seems interesting on its own.