Standard zero-free regions for Rankin-Selberg \(L\)-functions via sieve theory (Q2312829)

The locations and distributions of the zeros of \(L\)-functions have important arithmetic applications, so their studies have been a central topic in number theory. In particular, if an \(L\)-function \(L(s)\) is known to be automorphic with \(L(s) = L(s, \pi)\) for some unitary cuspidal automorphic representation \(\pi\) of \(\mathrm{GL}_n(\mathbb{A}_F)\), then it has a zero-free region of form [\textit{H. Iwaniec} and \textit{E. Kowalski}, Analytic number theory. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (AMS) (2004; Zbl 1059.11001)] \[ \sigma \geq 1 - \frac{c}{(n [F : \mathbb{Q}])^4 \log\Big(q (|t| + 3)\Big)} \tag{*} \] for some absolute constant \(c > 0\), where \(q\) is the analytic conductor. However, the standard argument due to de la Valleé Poussin requires the meromorphic continuations of the Rankin-Selberg convolutions \(L_1(s) = L(s, \pi \times \pi)\) and \(L_2(s) = L(s, \pi \times \tilde{\pi})\) to the whole complex plane, where \(\tilde{\pi}\) is the contragradient of \(\pi\). Such analytic properties have not been established for the counterparts of \(L_1(s)\) and \(L_2(s)\) for general \(L\)-functions, so the analysis of the zero-free regions of these \(L\)-functions is much subtler and more challenging. The paper under review considers one such case, namely the zero-free region for the Rankin-Selberg \(L\)-function \(L(s, \pi \times \tilde{\pi})\), where \(\pi\) is a unitary cuspidal automorphic representation of \(\mathrm{GL}_n(\mathbb{A}_F)\) over a number field \(F\), tempered at every non-Archimedean place outside a set of Dirichlet density zero. This problem has been discussed by several authors in different contexts, including \textit{S. S. Gelbart} and \textit{E. M. Lapid} [Am. J. Math. 128, No. 3, 619--638 (2006; Zbl 1142.11034)], the second author [Am. J. Math. 128, No. 6, 1455--1474 (2006; Zbl 1137.11058)], and \textit{D. Goldfeld} and \textit{X. Li} [Int. Math. Res. Not. 2018, No. 22, 7067--7136 (2018; Zbl 1440.11080)]. Using the sieve method, the authors provide a simple proof for the zero-free region of \(L(s, \pi \times \tilde{\pi})\) in the \(t\)-aspect, namely \[ \sigma \geq 1 - \frac{c}{\log(|t| + 3)} \] for some constant \(c > 0\) that depends upon the automorphic representation \(\pi\). In the appendix to this paper, the second author gives the first published proof to an often-claimed property that a Rankin-Selberg convolution \(L(s, \pi_1 \times \pi_2)\) satisfies a standard zero-free region akin to (*) whenever either \(\pi_1\) or \(\pi_2\) is self-dual (with the possible exception of one real zero whenever they are both self-dual).