The Weil representation of a unitary group associated to a ramified quadratic extension of a finite local ring. (Q2438368)

The authors define the Weil representation in a general setting. They assume only that \(R\) and \(V\) are finite additive Abelian groups of odd order and that \(f\colon V\times V\to R\) is a bi-additive function. Associated to \(f\) are the isometry group \(G=G(f)\) and the Heisenberg group \(H=H(f)\). The group \(G\) consists of all group automorphisms of \(V\) that preserve \(f\); the group \(H\) is comprised of all pairs \((r,v)\), \(r\in R\) and \(v\in V\) with multiplication \((r,v)(s,w)=(r+s+f((v,w),v+w)\). Let \(\lambda\colon\mathbb R^+\to\mathbb C^\times\) be a linear character; let \(S\colon H(f)\to\mathrm{GL}(X)\) be a Schrödinger representation of type \(\lambda\). A Weil representation of type \(\lambda\) is a representation \(W\colon G(f)\to\mathrm{GL}(X)\) satisfying: \(W(g)S(h)W(g)^{-1}=S(^gh)\), \(g\in G(f)\), \(h\in H(f)\). The authors show that there is one and only one representation of type \(\lambda\), up to equivalence and multiplication by a linear character of \(G(f)\); they establish, that the restriction to a unitary group of the Weil representation of a symplectic group can be studied by looking directly at the Weil representation of this unitary group; they provide a number of examples. The authors state their main results in their abstract: ``We find all irreducible constituents of the Weil representation of a unitary group \(\mathrm U_m(A)\) of rank \(m\) associated to a ramified quadratic extension \(A\) of a finite commutative, local and principal ring \(R\) of odd characteristic. We show that this Weil representation is multiplicity free with monomial irreducible constituents. We also find the number of these constituents and describe them in terms of Clifford theory with respect to a congruence subgroup. We find all character degrees in the special case when \(R\) is a field.''