On the value distribution of the Epstein zeta function in the critical strip (Q1937187)

The Epstein zeta function of a lattice \(L \subset \mathbb{R}^n\) of covolume \(1\) is defined as the meromorphic continuation to all \(s \in \mathbb{C}\) of \[ E_n(L, s) = \sum_{v \in L, v \neq 0} \|v\|^{-2s} \] which converges absolutely for \(\mathrm{Re}(s) > n/2\). The only pole of \(E_n(L, s)\) is at \(s=n/2\) (simple) with residue \(\pi^{n/2} \Gamma(n/2)^{-1}\). Moreover it satisfies a function equation under \(s \mapsto n/2 - s\). Call \(\{ s : 0 < \text{Re}(s) < n/2 \}\) the critical strip for \(E_n(L, s)\). The first goal of this paper is to study the value distribution of \(E_n(L, cn)\) as \(n \to \infty\), where \(0 < c < 1/2\); here \(L\) is viewed as a random lattice of covolume \(1\). The first result (Theorem 1.1) of this paper describes the limit distribution of \(V_n^{-2c} E_n(\cdot, cn)\) as \(n \to \infty\) (regarded as a random variable), where \(c\) lies in a closed interval in \((1/4, 1/2)\) and \(V_n := \mathrm{vol}(\mathbb{S}^n)\): it equals \[ H(c) := \int_{V > 0} V^{-2c} \,dR(V) \] where \(R(V)\) is explicitly given in terms of a Poisson process on \(\mathbb{R}_{>0}\) with constant intensity \(1/2\). As a byproduct (Theorem 1.3), the author obtains \(R_n(V) \ll V^{1/2} (\log V)^{\varepsilon + 3/2}\) for almost every \(L\), where \(R_n\) is essentially the remainder term in the generalized circle problem. By subtracting the singularities from both \(E_n\) and \(H\) at \(c=1/2\), the author extends the aforementioned result to intervals of the form \([1/4 + \varepsilon, 1/2]\) (Theorem 6.2). These results are closely related to \textit{P. Sarnak} and \textit{A. Strömbergsson} [Invent. Math. 165, No. 1, 115--151 (2006; Zbl 1145.11033)] on the heights \(h_n(L)\) of flat tori \(\mathbb{R}^n/L\) and the minima of \(E_n(\cdot, s)\). For example, the Theorem 1.4 in this paper sharpens the description of \(h_n(L)\) as \(n \to \infty\) in Theorem 3 of loc. cit. Such results are also of interest in arithmetic.