An explicit formula for the zeros of the Rankin-Selberg \(L\)-function via the projection of \(C^{\infty }\)-modular forms (Q2427464)

If \(k\in M=\{12,16,18,20,22,26\}\), then the space \(S_k\) of cusp forms for the group \(\text{SL}_2({\mathbb Z})\) of weight \(k\) is one-dimensional. So there exists a unique normalized Hecke-eigenform \(\Delta_k(z)=\sum_{n=1}^\infty\tau_k(n)\,e^{2\pi inz}\). Let \(\rho\) be a zero in the critical strip \(0<\text{Re}(s)<1\) of the \(L\)-function \(L(s-1+(k+l)/2,\Delta_k\otimes\Delta_l)\), where \(l\in M\) with \(k\leq l\). Multiplying \(\Delta_k\) with an Eisenstein series and using an explicit formula for the projection from smooth modular forms to holomorphic ones given by \textit{J. Sturm} [Duke Math. J. 48, 327--350 (1981; Zbl 0483.10026)], the author derives a formula involving \(\rho\). The formula expresses \[ -\tau_k(n) \left\{\frac{n^{1-2\rho}(-1)^{(l-k)/2}\zeta(2 \rho)}{(2\pi)^{2\rho}\Gamma\left(-\rho+\frac{k+l}{2}\right)} +\frac{\zeta(2\rho-1)\Gamma(2\rho-1)}{\Gamma\left(\rho-1+ \frac{k+l}{2}\right)\Gamma\left(\rho+\frac{k-l}{2}\right)\Gamma \left(\rho-\frac{k-l}{2}\right)}\right\} \] as an infinite linear combination, with hypergeometric coefficients: it is \[ \sum_{m=1}^{n-1}\tau_k(m)\sigma_{1-2\rho}(n-m) \frac{F\left(1-\rho+\frac{k-l}{2},-\rho+\frac{k+l}{2};k ;\frac{m}{n}\right)} {\Gamma(k)\Gamma\left(\rho-\frac{k-l}{2} \right)} \] plus \[ \sum_{m=n+1}^{\infty}\left(\frac{n}{m}\right)^{-\rho+ \frac{k+l}{2}}\tau_k(m)\sigma_{1-2\rho}(m-n) \frac{F\left(1-\rho-\frac{k-l}{2},-\rho+\frac{k+l}{2};l ;\frac{n}{m}\right)} {\Gamma(l)\Gamma\left(\rho+\frac{k-l}{2} \right)}. \] As a corollary, \(\text{Re}(\rho)=\frac{1}{2}\) if and only if the right-hand side is asymptotically \(\tau_k(n)\). The author notes that Shimura proved that the periods of the Rankin-Selberg \(L\)-function are dominated by the cusp form of large weight, whereas in this formula it is the cusp form of low weight that plays the special role.