A reduction of the remainder term in the prime geodesic theorem for the theta case (Q1923652)

Here is the author's concise and complete introduction: ``Let \(\Gamma_0(2)\) denote the group of matrices in \(\Gamma=\text{SL} (2,\mathbb{Z})\) with an even left-lower corner entry. Then the classical theta series \[ \vartheta_2(z)= \sum_{n\in\mathbb{Z}} e^{\pi i(n+{1\over 2})^2z}, \qquad \vartheta_3(z)= \sum_{n\in\mathbb{Z}} e^{\pi in^2z}, \qquad \vartheta_4(z)= \vartheta_3(z+1) \] are modular forms of weight \({1\over 2}\) for \(\Gamma_0(2)\), \(\left(\begin{smallmatrix} 0 &-1\\ 1&1\end{smallmatrix} \right)^{-1} \Gamma_0(2)\left( \begin{smallmatrix} 0&-1\\ 1&1\end{smallmatrix} \right)\) and \(\left(\begin{smallmatrix} 0&-1\\ 1&0\end{smallmatrix} \right)^{-1}\Gamma_0(2) \left(\begin{smallmatrix} 0&-1\\ 1&0\end{smallmatrix} \right)\), respectively. Put \(\Theta(z)= (\vartheta_2(z), \vartheta_3(z), \vartheta_4(z))^t\). Then \({\mathcal V}\) is the multiplier system determined by \(\Theta(Tz)= {\mathcal V}(T)(cz+d)^{1\over 2}\Theta(z)\) for \(T=\left( \begin{smallmatrix} a&b\\ c&d\end{smallmatrix} \right)\in\Gamma\). In [J. Reine Angew. Math. 446, 165-217 (1994; Zbl 0796.11019)] we have proven the prime geodesic theorem: \(\pi_\Gamma(x,{\mathcal V})=\text{li} (x^{(3/4)})+ O_\varepsilon(x^{(5/8)+ \varepsilon})\) with \(\pi_\Gamma(x,{\mathcal V})=\sum_{\substack{ \{P_0\},\\ NP_0\leq x}} \text{Tr }{\mathcal W}(P_0)\), where the sum is over all \(\Gamma\)-conjugacy classes of primitive hyperbolic elements \(P_0\) with \(\text{Tr }P_0>4\) and \(NP_0=\varepsilon^2_D<x\). Here \(D\) is the discriminant of the primitive binary quadratic form, for which the automorphism group is generated by \(\pm P_0\), \(\varepsilon_D= {{t_0+u_0\sqrt{D}}\over 2}\) and \((t_0,u_0)\) is the fundamental solution of Pell's equation \(t^2-Du^2=4\). In the present paper we want to prove a better result, namely \[ \pi_\Gamma(x,{\mathcal V})=\text{li} (x^{(3/4)})+O_\varepsilon (x^{(59/96)+ \varepsilon}). \] We should remark that this result formally corresponds to Iwaniec's result \(O(x^{35/48}+\varepsilon)\) in the error term for the prime geodesic theorem in the weight 0 case under the Shimura lift. In what follows we shall make improvements at two different places of (loc. cit.), yet only the one which will be made in the `Kloosterman' term will be responsible for the result stated in the theorem''.