Stable averages of central values of Rankin-Selberg \(L\)-functions: some new variants (Q2444996)

Let \(f\in S_k(N,\chi)\) and \(g\in S_l(D,\epsilon)\) be cusp forms of weight \(k\) and level \(N\), weight \(l\) and level \(D\) respectively. The paper considers the average: \[ \sum_{f\in S_k(N,\chi)}\frac{L(f\otimes g,s)}{(f,f)}\lambda_m(f) \] where the sum is taken over an orthonormal basis of \(S_k(N,\chi)\), \(L(f\otimes g,\cdot)\) is the Rankin-Selberg \(L\)-function and \(\lambda_m(f)\) is the \(m\)-th Fourier coefficient of \(f\). Under the assumption that \(D\) is square free, \(l<k\) and \(2s\) is an integer with the same parity as \(k-l\) with \(1-(k-l)/2\leq s\leq (k-l)/2\), the paper gives an expression of the above average with a finite sum of geometric terms (as opposed to spectral terms). Previously \textit{Ph. 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} [Duke Math. J. 149, No. 2, 347-410 (2009; Zbl 1241.11057)] derived similar type of formulas, with the assumption that \(g\) is dihedral. The proof is done by a careful application of the Petersson formula. It is standard to get some sort of asymptotic formula using the Petersson formula. The objective here is to obtain an exact formula, which has some applications in the study of the values mod \(p\) of the algebraic part of the \(L\)-values.