Unitary representations of \(p\)-adic \(U(5)\) (Q2223487)

An important open problem in the representation theory of \(p\)-adic groups is understanding their unitary representations. Namely, if \(G\) is a connected reductive algebraic group over a \(p\)-adic field \(F\), then it is known that each unitary irreducible representation of \(G\) is a subquotient of a representation induced from a parabolic subgroup \(P\) of \(G\). In the present article, the author treats the case \(G=U(5)(E)\), where \(E\) is a degree-two extension of \(F\), and determines when unitary representations \(\pi\) of \(G\) are irreducible in the following cases: \begin{itemize} \item \(\pi\) is a unitary principal series representation of \(G\); \item \(\pi\) is induced from a representation the Levi subgroup of \(G\) containing \(\mathrm{GL}_2(E)\); \item \(\pi\) is induced from a representation \(\sigma\) of the Levi subgroup of \(G\) containing \(U(3)\) such that the \(U(3)\) part of \(\sigma\) is not cuspidal. \end{itemize} The author then classifies unitary representations of \(G\) in terms of Langlands quotients, and provides figures illustrating the unitary dual. This article extends similar results for \(U(3)\) and \(U(4)\). The proof is based chiefly on an analysis of intertwining operators combined with the results of [\textit{D. Keys}, Compos. Math. 51, 115--130 (1984; Zbl 0547.22009)], as well as the technique of base-change from \(U(2)\) to \(\mathrm{GL}_2\).