First moment of Rankin-Selberg central \(L\)-values and subconvexity in the level aspect (Q2441307)

Motivated by results of \textit{P. Michel} and \textit{D. Ramakrishnan} [in: Number theory, analysis and geometry. In memory of Serge Lang. Berlin: Springer. 437--459 (2012; Zbl 1276.11057)], \textit{B. Feigon} and \textit{D. Whitehouse} [Int. J. Number Theory 6, No. 7, 1609--1624 (2010; Zbl 1236.11050)] and others, the authors investigate the first moment of Rankin-Selberg \(L\)-functions \[ \sum_{f \in S^{\ast}_k(N)} \frac{L(1/2, f \times g)}{L(1, \text{sym}^2 f)} \ll (N + \sqrt{M})(NM)^{\varepsilon} \] from an analytic point of view. Here \(N\) and \(M\) are coprime squarefree integers, the sum runs over primitive newforms in \(S^{\ast}_k(N)\), and \(g\) is a newform for \(\Gamma_1(M)\). The proof uses the Petersson formula in connection with Voronoi summation in order to transform the Kloosterman sums into Ramanujan sums. If \(L(1/2, f \times g) \geq 0\) and \(M^{\delta} \leq N \leq M^{1-\delta}\) for some fixed \(\delta > 0\), then the above bound gives a hybrid subconvexity result (in the level aspect) for \(L(1/2, f \times g)\). The non-negativity condition is known to hold if \(g\) is dihedral.