Towards the Jacquet conjecture on the local converse problem for \(p\)-adic \(\mathrm {GL}_n\) (Q2344504)

Let \(F\) be a non-Archimedean local field, \(\pi\) an irreducible generic representation of the group \(\mathrm{GL}_n(F)\), and assume \(n \geq 2\). After the work of Jacquet, Piateski-Shapiro and Shalika [\textit{H. Jacquet} et al., Am. J. Math. 105, 367--464 (1983; Zbl 0525.22018)], there is an associated family of local gamma factors \(\gamma(s,\pi\times \tau, \psi)\) associated to \(\pi\), where \(\tau\) is any irreducible generic representation of \(\mathrm{GL}_r(F)\), \(r \leq n\), and \(\psi\) is a nontrivial additive character of the field \(F\). These local \(\gamma\) factors can be also defined through the so-called Langlands-Shahidi method (see, for instance [\textit{F. Shahidi}, Am. J. Math. 106, 67--111 (1984; Zbl 0567.22008)]). The local converse problem for the group \(\mathrm{GL}_n(F)\) consists in finding the smallest integer \(m\) such that the family of local factors \(\gamma(s,\pi\times \tau, \psi)\) (with \(\tau\) running through all irreducible generic representations of \(\gamma(s,\pi\times \tau, \psi)\) for \(\mathrm{GL}_r(F)\), and \(1 \leq r \leq m\)) determine, modulo isomorphism, the irreducible generic representation \(\pi\). A conjecture attributed to Jacquet states that for \(n >4\), \(\pi_1\) and \(\pi_2\) irreducible generic smooth representations of \(\mathrm{GL}_n(F)\), if their local factors are equal for all generic irreducible representations \(\tau\) of \(\mathrm{GL}_r(F)\), with \(1 \leq r \leq [n/2]\), then the representations \(\pi_1\) and \(\pi_2\) are equivalent. In this article, the authors obtain an equivalent conjecture, where instead of \(\pi_1\), \(\pi_2\) irreducible generic representations, we consider irreducible supercuspidal representations. In other words, the generic case follows from the supercuspidal one and vice versa. There are two main ingredients that help to attack this problem. One is the fact that any irreducible supercuspidal representation of \(\mathrm{GL}_n(F)\) has a nontrivial Whittaker model and the other is the functional equation of the local Rankin-Selberg convolution of the product \(\mathrm{GL}_n(F) \times \mathrm{GL}_r(F)\). As the authors said, this idea has been tried before. Next, for \(K\) an open compact (modulo the center) subgroup of \(\mathrm{GL}_n(F)\), and \(\pi\) an irreducible unitarizable supercuspidal representation of \(\mathrm{GL}_n(F)\), the authors define the concept of \(K\)-special Whittaker functions \(W_\pi\) and also the concept of special pair of Whittaker functions \(W_{\pi_1}\) and \(W_{\pi_2}\) associated to \(\pi\) and \(\pi_2\), respectively. Then, the authors deduce the following theorem. Theorem. Let \(\pi_1\) and \(\pi_2\) be irreducible unitarizable supercuspidal representations of \(\mathrm{GL}_n(F)\). Assume that a special pair \((W_{\pi_1}, W_{\pi_2})\) exists for \((\pi_1\), \(\pi_2)\). If the local gamma factors \(\gamma(s,\pi_1\times \tau, \psi)\) and \(\gamma(s,\pi_2\times \tau, \psi)\) are equal as functions in the complex variable \(s\), for all irreducible supercuspidal representations \(\tau\) of \(\mathrm{GL}_r(F)\) with \(1 \leq r \leq [n/2]\), then \(W_{\pi_1} = W_{\pi_2}\) and \(\pi_1\) and \(\pi_2\) are equivalent as representations of \(\mathrm{GL}_n(F)\). The authors recall a result of Jacquet et al. [loc. cit.] that proves the convergence or certain local zeta integrals, as functions of the complex variable \(s\), necessary to define the local gamma factors, and also that local factors determine the central character. Next, they prove the reduction from the generic to the supercuspidal case. An elegant argument shows that two unitarizable irreducible supercuspidal representations of \(\mathrm{GL}_n(F)\) having the same local gamma factors, as functions of \(s\), belong to the same endoclass.